


The Prince and the Paupers

by amitiel



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Choice, Difficult Decisions, Fate, High School, Hope, Love, M/M, Magic, Magical Accidents, Pining, Rarepair, True Love, Unrequited Love, happiness, mainpair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:41:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28177059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitiel/pseuds/amitiel
Summary: Cor Leonis has a well rounded life, but he always felt like something was missing. Unbeknownst to him, the crystal pendant that Regis gifts him as a "magical trinket" actually works. So when he wishes to find what he's missing and ends up reverting back to his seventeen year old self, he's pretty sure he's doomed.Regis and Clarus come up with the only plan they can really think of: Send Cor to high school to avoid suspicion until he figures it out. Feeling his world closing in on him, Cor ends up befriending an unlikely ally until he realizes that it might be more than friendship.Ultimately, Cor winds up left with a choice he never wanted to face: Does he remain 17 years old and live his life all over again with the one he loves? Or does he go back to his life as he knew it, knowing that he will have to leave the love of his life behind?
Relationships: Clarus Amicitia & Weskham Armaugh & Cor Leonis & Regis Lucis Caelum & Cid Sophiar, Clarus Amicitia/Regis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Nyx Ulric, Prompto Argentum/Cor Leonis, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia, Titus Drautos | Glauca & Cor Leonis
Comments: 38
Kudos: 81





	1. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor stands by his king

Cor stood next to the king as he sat on the throne, his Shield on the other side. As the youngest Lord Marshal in history, Cor Leonis stood tall and proud, able to do his job as the leader of the Crownsguard while looking out for the future of the king, his family, and Lucis. It was no small task, and he was particularly bent on getting the young recruits into shape at this time of year.

Most of the recruits were just out of high school or older, but there was one seventeen year old who managed to find his way into the Crownsguard at a younger age. Cor supposed the only reason why the senior in high school was allowed to be a recruit was because he was the prince’s best friend, the last of the recruits set to join his retinue. If Noctis hadn’t put in a good word for him, insisting that he was worth bringing into the Crownsguard to be part of his retinue, Cor doubted that the blond would have even been there at all. 

Right now wasn’t the time to consider that, though. They were anticipating the royal family of Tenebrae to arrive here so they could drop off their son and daughter for school. Ravus was a freshman at Insomnia University, and Lunafreya was a senior at Insomnia High just like Noctis and his friend, Prompto. With the two others of Noctis’ retinue in college and the same year as Ravus, Ignis and Gladio were most likely to get along with the Tenebraean prince.

“You think they’ll be on time?” Clarus muttered on the other side of the king. “Or are we just going to be standing here all day?”

“Now, now,” Regis replied, although he was certainly laughing. “Queen Sylva is particular about how she travels.”

Clarus was a stern looking man with shaven grey hair, tall in stature like his son, with bright blue eyes. Currently he was wearing his ceremonial uniform as the King’s Shield, a black ensemble of robes with white and gold, his ceremonial sword at his hip. Beneath his robes was a giant bird of prey tattooed on his back and arms, the same tattoo that Gladio had just recently completed.

Regis was a stately man, every bit a king, with silver hair slicked back and stormy grey-blue eyes like his son. With his black kingly raiment with gold trim, Regis sat on the throne with a black cane in his hand. Atop the cane was a family heirloom, a piece of a crystal that had been once believed to be a seat of the Caelum power. It wasn’t the case, now just a priceless trinket, and through time the magic of the world ebbed into nothingness, if it ever existed at all.

The king needed his cane, as well as a sturdy knee brace, due to a car accident that happened when he was newly appointed king. It had been from an ambush of the paparazzi. When the driver tried to get away from them, he unfortunately tipped the car. King Regis sustained several injuries, the worst of which was knee. The driver and the queen unfortunately both lost their lives. Noctis had only been a small baby at the time.

While they all lived in a modern era ruled by machines and automatic weaponry, those who were in the king’s retinue had learned how to fight in hand to hand combat with daggers, swords, and bows. After all, technology could fail at any given moment. They had to be prepared. While magic didn’t exist and they had to rely on technology for weapons of war, Eos had been at peace long enough that most didn’t worry about it. Still, one could never be too careful, and Niflheim had always loved to threaten the end of their peace treaty.

“Pretty sure Cor is going to be my age by the time they arrive,” Clarus muttered. Regis snorted in laughter. 

“Really?” Cor asked, looking at the two out of the side of his vibrantly piercing blue eyes. “Do I really have to be the adult amongst us?”

“What else is new?” Regis laughed. He had a point. Cor had always been the mature one of them, driving the Regalia at fifteen because Regis nearly crashed it when he was twenty. 

Finally, the doors to the throne room opened, the sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows on either side of the dark marbled floor. The procession entered, a line of royal family members from Tenebrae dressed all in white as they were followed by their guards. All of them were beautiful, but it was very clearly Ravus and Lunafreya who would outshine their predecessors quite easily. 

The King of Tenebrae, Achlys, was a tall man with long dark hair pulled back and hanging low on his head. With his amethyst eyes, he was considered the Jewel of Niflheim until he was married off to his wife, Sylva. As the second son of Niflheim, he wasn’t necessarily set to rule unless he took to the prospect of marrying Sylva. Luckily, they got along well, and his white robes indicated that he was every bit a Nox Fleuret as the rest of the family. After all, he did take his wife’s last name since she inherited the throne.

Queen Sylva, the true ruler of Tenebrae, was tall for a woman, with long braided blond hair and blue eyes, her face rounding gradually as she aged gracefully into middle age. With a long, flowing white dress, a crown on her head of glittering diamonds, and beautiful jewels adorning her visage, she was certainly dressed perfectly like a queen. No wonder they were late.

Ravus and Lunafreya inherited their mother’s light hair, although the prince had been born with a rare genetic anomaly that made him even more beautiful than expected. His hair was white, and one eye blue and the other purple. Tall like his father and with a strong face, he was easily one of the most handsome men in Tenebrae. However, women were more valued in Tenebrae, and even though his sister was younger, she was the one likely to ascend the throne. With hair and eyes like her mother, she was all but set to take over one day.

“Your majesty,” Queen Sylva said with a curtsey as they reached the base of the steps to the throne. Lunafreya curtsied as well while the prince and king bowed. “We are so delighted to be here in Lucis once more. The summer is coming to a close, and it is time to see our children off to school.”

“Welcome Queen Sylva, King Achlys,” Regis said with a smile. He looked at Lunafreya and Ravus. “And young prince and princess. I imagine you are all weary from travel. While we could stay here for hours and exchange pleasantries, why don’t you all go and rest in the rooms we have prepared for you? I am sure Noctis will be quite delighted to see you both.”

“Where is your lovely son?” Queen Sylva asked, a twitch at the edge of her mouth.

“In the training grounds, where we sent him,” Regis replied dismissively. “You know how the youth of today are. Too much energy and nothing to do with it.”

“Yes,” Queen Sylva replied, not quite exactly on the same page with Regis. They were in Lucis now, though. If Noctis was off being a teen, newly eighteen, somewhere then they had no say in the matter. “We do accept your gracious welcome, and we will take respite before dinner.”

With another set of bows and curtseys, the Tenebraean family turned around and were shown to their rooms by the palace staff. The moment they were out of the throne room, the doors closed behind them, Regis let out an exhale of air, slinking into the throne in which he sat. Noctis was far more like his father than he realized.

“She talks like she has a stick up her ass,” Regis mused, a groaned in his voice more than amusement. “How long are they staying?”

“Ravus is moving into an apartment near campus tomorrow,” Cor recited, knowing the itinerary of all the royal family members within the Citadel. “Lunafreya will be staying in the same apartment complex as Noctis for safety and ease of comfort. The king and queen will be leaving at the end of the week once their children are settled.”

“This is going to be one long week,” Regis sighed. “Alright. Let’s get this over with. And I’m expecting you two to help me through this.”

“I was thinking about letting you suffer on your own,” Cor muttered as the king stood up. 

“Oh Six, no,” Regis laughed. Cor took the king’s arm as he walked down the steps, helping him with his limp. “Cor, why do you leave me to suffer in agony on my own?!”

Cor rolled his eyes. “Or maybe you’re just a drama queen.”

“Hey, drag nights are Tuesdays,” Regis retorted.

“I don’t need to know what you and Clarus do in the bedroom at night,” Cor pointed out.

“Don’t drag me into this,” Clarus scoffed, although he was laughing too. “Regis only dresses in drag when he wants to. I don’t make him do anything.”

“Well that explains the fishnets I found in your room,” Cor muttered, only half joking. He had found fishnets in the king’s chambers the other night, but he hadn’t been at all surprised by his affair with Clarus. He had been forced to marry Aulea, and while they had a nice relationship, it wasn’t anything romantic by any means. After all, Regis had always been gay and in love with Clarus.

At the base of the steps, Regis was able to walk on his own once more. Waiting for them by the door was Titus Drautos, the Captain of the Kingsglaive, another stern-looking man who had proven himself to the king. With a bulkier frame of muscle than Cor had, Titus hair shaggier brown hair and blue eyes, whereas Cor kept his darker brown hair more cleanly shaven. He was dressed in his standard black fatigues. From a peaceful town of the Cavaugh Region, Titus was an intimidating presence just as Cor was.

“Would you be so kind as to get my unruly son from the training grounds while Titus catches me up on the Kingsglaive activities, Cor?” Regis asked, knowing that Titus would give him the dossier later to read. “Tell him it’s time to wash up for supper and send his friend home.”

“Of course, your majesty,” Cor said. He put his fist over his heart and gave a bow, despite Regis’ usual protests, then made his way through the beautiful halls and to the wide, open spaces of the training grounds.

There he found the prince sparring with his retinue, including the new recruit, Prompto. Noctis was about Prompto’s height, a bit short for a guy, with dark hair, pale skin, and stormy grey-blue eyes just like his father. His facial features resembled his mother far more, though, and he dressed in black cargo shorts, a black shirt, and black boots. He was a good looking kid, and Cor didn’t doubt that he would find a princess to make very happy someday.

Prompto, just a tad shorter than Noctis, was the exact opposite of the prince. With freckled skin, blond hair like wheat, and blue eyes seemingly decorated with the purple hues of the universe, he looked like Noctis’ opposite in many more ways than he was similar. Cor noticed easily how he was thinner than Noctis, his shorts and tank top just a bit too big on him for them to be comfortable, but he seemed to move around in his worn sneakers easily enough. 

Ignis was from a family of royal advisors to the throne. The Scientia line was a proud line from Tenebrae, and Ignis reflected every moment of that. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and green eyes. He dressed in workout gear that showed off every curve, the tight material made for aerodynamic maneuvers. The young man knew what he was doing, and he knew how to do it well. 

Gladio was just like his father. Taller than the rest, with longer brown hair and amber eyes, the Shield to the prince had the same tattoo his father had, the same buff muscles, and the same attitude from Clarus’ youth. Wearing nothing but his workout shorts, Gladio was every bit of muscle that the rest of the world expected him to be. 

Out of all of them, Prompto obviously didn’t belong. Cor still couldn’t figure out why Noctis thought Prompto belonged amongst them. He wasn’t of noble birth, he wasn’t particularly talented in a fight, and from what Cor knew, his grades were average. During the days that Cor put the recruits through intense training sessions, Prompto could barely even keep up. Cor considered him a mystery, an enigma among the others, and was determined to see just why Prompto had been selected by the prince out of everyone else.

“Hey Lord Marshal,” Noctis said when he caught Cor staring, stopping mid spar to look at him. Prompto caught his eye and froze, like an anak caught in the headlights of a vehicle driving down the streets of Leide. Immediately, the blond stopped what he was doing and bowed then stood at attention. Cor held up a hand, indicating that he could relax. He wasn’t there for him after all.

“The royal family of Tenebrae has arrived,” Cor explained to Noctis. “Your father requests that you ready yourself for supper with them and to send your friend home.”

“Sure,” Noctis replied. He looked at Prompto, no small amount of apology in his eyes. “Sorry, Prom. When you’re part of the retinue officially you’ll be there too.”

“Don’t worry about it, bud,” Prompto said with a smile, running his hand through the back of his blond head. “I gotta go and get ready for school anyway.”

“I’m sure your parents will be wondering where you are at this hour,” Ignis pointed out. Cor saw something flicker in Prompto’s eyes, but it was gone in a moment. He ignored it. “After all, you two are both due at school tomorrow.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me Ig,” Noctis groaned. He smiled at Prompto, though. “I’ll text you later.”

“Sure thing,” Prompto replied. He walked away with a wave at the three of his friends then stopped and gave another formal bow at Cor. 

“I expect you to be here for training before school and after,” Cor advised him.

“Yes, sir,” Prompto said, his cheeks burning red. 

“Dismissed,” Cor indicated. Prompto gave a salute then ran off. Cor had to hand it to him; he ran faster than anyone he had ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh!!! I'm so excited to post this! I am far enough in my other stories that I can start on this one too and I'm so excited for it because I've been planning this one for FOREVER.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it! It's going to be a bit heavy but in that emotional sense (but then again, when aren't my fics heavy? XD)
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	2. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor is gifted something from the king... and it backfires on him

It was a peaceful night after the Tenebraean family had settled into their rooms, dinner long since passed. Cor was grateful that everything went smoothly, although he noticed that Noctis seemed a bit more petulant than usual without Prompto there. He chalked it up to the fact that he wasn’t in the retinue yet, that he wasn’t considered one of them until he managed to pass through basic training. 

Now, Cor had opted to traverse through the Citadel gardens before he made his way to his apartment. It would be another bright and early morning, and Cor knew that he had to get the rest he needed to whip the recruits into shape. Yet he found his mind strangely unsettled, and he paced the gardens as he looked at the ancient fountain in the middle, a giant statue dedicated to the Six Astrals.

“Pleasant evening, isn’t it?” Regis asked, suddenly behind him. He was dressed in his black velvet sleepwear, a black robe over his shoulders and black slippers on his feet. The crystal on top of the cane glittered magnanimously in the starlight, refracting beautifully off the water of the fountain.

“Couldn’t sleep, your majesty?” Cor asked, looking at him before turning back to the fountain, his hands clasped behind his back. He was still in his dress fatigues, denoting his position as Captain of the Crownsguard. 

“I could ask you the same,” Regis replied. “And stop it with the ‘your majesty’ shit. There’s no one around to hear it.”

“Alright,” Cor shrugged. “What’s bothering you?”

“This knee,” Regis indicated, massaging it a bit. “Keeps me up at all hours of the night. Clarus keeps trying to convince me to get a knee replacement. I’m going to keep holding out until it’s necessary.”

“Just do it already,” Cor grumbled. “Maybe then it’ll stop your whining.”

Regis laughed. “You know it won’t. So what about you? Why are you still here?”

“I feel unsettled,” Cor considered. “I don’t really know why. Maybe there’s just something I’m missing.”

“You ever think about how things could’ve been if you ever fell in love or married?” Regis asked him. “I mean, you are the Captain of the Crownsguard and have a successful career as the Lord Marshal, but you never met anyone. Occasional flings don’t count.”

“Hmm,” Cor considered, thinking about it. “I don’t think I ever met anyone worth marrying. I suppose if I had the opportunity to fill that gap in my life, perhaps I wouldn’t feel like something’s missing. It seems a bit easy, though. Just find someone and everything is fixed.”

“Nothing is ever that easy,” Regis chuckled. He took something out of his pocket. Cor noticed it was a piece of the crystal on a leather cord. Surprised, Cor found Regis putting it around his neck. “This is a piece of the crystal that is meant to go to someone’s beloved, should they find them. It is said that if you hold this in your hands and pray to the Six Astrals, they will grant the wearer a wish for themselves and a wish for their beloved. I don’t know if it works, but I prayed to them while holding it and it brought me Clarus. Maybe it’ll bring you luck too.”

“Thank you,” Cor replied, taken aback to have been gifted such a priceless gift.

“You’re like a younger brother to me, Cor,” Regis said. “My only ask is that you give this to your beloved when you find them. It’s a symbol of your love and your heart. It’s something they should hold in their hands as if they hold the world. Make sure you give it to the right person.”

“I will,” Cor said softly. “Thank you.”

“Hey, whatever gets you laid,” Regis laughed, bringing things back to his humor. He clapped Cor on the back. “Alright, get some rest Cor. You have shit to do in the morning.”

“Hey, I’m not an old man like you,” Cor retorted, laughing with the king. Nevertheless, he knew Regis was right.

Cor made his way to his home in his sleek black car, a highrise apartment complex waiting for him. He lived in a spacious flat with all modern appliances, a gorgeous living room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city, a large kitchen and master bedroom, and two spare rooms and an extra bathroom. Everything was beautiful, sparkling, and entirely clean. It was also ridiculously lonely.

Making his way to the kitchen, Cor grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and opened it, taking a long swig of it before sighing. It had been a long day. Dealing with King Achlys and Queen Sylva always was exhausting, no matter how much he tried to keep Regis in good spirits about it. Ultimately, Cor made his way to the bedroom and undressed then took a long hot shower. 

After his shower and another quiet dinner, Cor got himself ready for bed. He opted to sleep in his boxers only, pausing only when he saw the crystal pendant resting on his bedside table. Sighing, he sat on the edge of the bed and held it in his hands, wondering if it was even worth it to try what Regis said. There was no such thing as magic, at least not anymore. Was it even worth the attempt?

“Six Astrals,” Cor prayed, figuring it couldn’t hurt. “Please bring into my life that which I am missing. Whether it be someone or something, or even something missing within me, please lead me to it through whatever means you deem necessary so I may find that which I cannot live without.”

He considered it a bit more, mulling over what he was pondering, before he sighed and put the pendant around his neck. It felt warm to the touch, even though his hands were quite cool, and he wondered if it was just an effect of the crystal itself. Without anything else to do and knowing he had to be up early, he set his alarm and went to sleep.

~

Cor awoke in the morning when his alarm went off, feeling a bit more groggy than he was used to. He groaned, vaguely aware of how his voice pitched a bit differently, and he just figured that he had a hoarse throat from sleeping. Sighing, he ran his hand over his face and turned off his alarm.

Achingly, Cor got out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom. He relieved himself then stepped up to the sink, yawning with his eyes closed as he turned on the water to wash his face and brush his teeth. Bending over, he washed his face, grabbed a towel, and stood up, drying it off as he stared at himself in the mirror…

Cor stared at himself, at least he thought it was himself, in the mirror in shock. Why did he look like his seventeen year old self, his hair a bit more shaggy than usual, his face younger, his stature shorter? Why was his physique, while well defined, that of a seventeen year old? What happened? Was he hallucinating? He had to be.

Panic began to course through him as he touched his fingers to his face and realized that he was touching himself. Something had happened, and he was now young again. This couldn’t have happened, could it? No, there was no way. As much as Cor prided himself on staying calm, he felt the adrenaline of panic coursing through him, and he ran into the next room to grab his phone.

“Hello?” a groggy Regis said on the other line. “Do you know what time it is Cor? Just because you’re awake doesn’t mean I have to be.”

“What did you do to me?!” Cor demanded, his voice deep yet not deep enough to be quite adult yet. He had hit puberty by seventeen already, but his voice wouldn’t mature the way that it was until his mid to late twenties. 

“Who is this?” Regis asked, his tone clearly not amused. “Listen, kid-”

“It’s me, Cor!” Cor snapped. There was a sound on the other line that clearly indicated that Regis didn’t believe him. “Listen, I can prove it! You and Clarus are in a relationship. We were just joking about you wearing fishnets yesterday after the queen and king of Tenebrae showed up!”

“Cor?!” Regis asked, suddenly believing him. “What happened, man? You sound like-”

“Like I’m seventeen years old?!” Cor asked, his voice pitching at the end as he felt his throat closing off in panicked strangulation. “Listen, do you think you can come here? Or send someone? No one will let me in the Citadel at this rate.”

“Alright,” Regis replied, although he clearly sounded amused, like it was some kind of joke. “Do you want me to bring some of Noct’s clothes too?”

“Can you?” Cor asked. “No, wait. I would probably fit in Ignis’ clothes better.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Regis said. “I still remember what you looked like at seventeen. I’ll be there soon with Clarus. This should be good.”

Cor ended the call with him, understanding that Clarus would no doubt believe that it was all some sort of elaborate prank. He wished it was a prank. It would be so much easier if it was a prank. Six, Cor hoped it was a prank. 

Desperately, he took the crystal in his hands and prayed. And prayed. He prayed and prayed then prayed some more, but when nothing happened he knew it was no use. Whatever magic existed within it actually worked, and thanks to that he was now seventeen years old. What the hell did the Six think was going to help him by being seventeen?

There was a knock on the door, and Cor got up quickly, grabbing a robe to hide the fact that his boxers were now too big on him around his waist. He did notice how his backside and girth were pretty much the same. Thank the Six for that.

The moment he opened the door to see a half-awake Regis and Clarus suddenly became far more alert. He knew then he wasn’t dreaming or hallucinating. Cor had become his seventeen year old self again.

“What the hell happened?!” Clarus asked when they stepped into the flat, both of them looking at Cor with wise eyes of disbelief. Of course they hadn’t brought him any clothes. Why would they? They thought it was some sort of joke.

“You tell me, Regis,” Cor said, glaring at him. “What sort of joke is this? I used the crystal like you said, and this happened?”

“That’s what happened when you used it?!” Regis asked, just as perplexed as Clarus and Cor was it seemed. “When I used it, Clarus was just introduced to me the next day. It was unexpected but it happened.”

“Then why the fuck am I seventeen?!” Cor asked incredulously. “How the hell do I get back to my body? My life?”

“Rest assured that no matter how long it takes, you’ll have your place to live and your job,” Regis said. “But I suppose we do have to figure out just some basic things. The Six don’t particularly work according to our desires, so I suppose you just have to find what they want you to find. Or who they want you to find.”

“What? So my true love is some seventeen year old punk?” Cor asked. He sat on the edge of his couch, his elbows on his knees as he put his head in his hands. “This can’t be happening. Maybe they’re just trying to teach me that I’m supposed to be alone. Maybe they’re trying to get me a puppy. Hell, maybe they’re just trying to get me away from you two fuckers.”

“Good luck with that last one,” Regis chuckled. He sighed and put his hand on Cor’s shoulder. “Here’s what we’re going to do. Clarus is going to take over training the Crownsguard and other duties you can’t do now that you’re like this. Titus will help. Just until you turn back. We’ll say you’re taking a sabbatical to care for your nephew who came into town from Altissia to go to school here. Which means, you need to keep up your end of the bargain and go to school and pretend to be your nephew.”

“I don’t even have a sister or brother,” Cor pointed out, looking at them.

“Yeah, but only we know that,” Clarus interjected. “Hell, you can even say that you were named after your ‘Uncle Cor’ and that’s why you came here. We’ll get everything taken care of with the school, get you clothes and uniforms, and then the moment that you figure out what the Six want you to know then you switch back.”

“This is an awful idea,” Cor groaned, running his hand over his face. “I’m doomed. I know it.”

“Hey, it’s not that bad,” Regis offered. “At least it’s the best thing that we have for now. Listen, I’ll even set you up in the same classes as Noctis so that way you have a familiar face on hand. They made you seventeen for a reason, so it looks like you gotta go back to school.”

“I’m so fucked,” Cor considered woefully. “That’s all there is to it. I’m fucked.”

“You’ll be fine,” Clarus encouraged him. “We will figure this out together.”

Cor nodded, yet somehow he didn’t find anything that they said particularly comforting. How could he? He was seventeen again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regis and Clarus: HEYYYY We got you!!!  
> Cor: I'm fucked. I'm fucked. This guy can run a country and this is his Shield, but I don't fucking trust them with this shit. I'm so doomed.  
> Regis: That's because we all know you're the one who runs the country.  
> Cor: *sobs*
> 
> I always found those movies where someone de-ages and is like "I'm going to go to school this is a great idea" to be a bit far fetched from how a real reaction would go? Like if that happened to me I'd be like "fuck no, this is a horrible idea." And I definitely think that Cor would react the same way. "Why the fuck do I, the fucking Lord Marshal, have to go to fucking high school?"
> 
> Also I couldn't help but think of David Bowie's song "Changes" while writing this, hence the chapter title. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for reading! I love writing this fic so much that it's flowing really easily as I write. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy!


	3. Ordinary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto prepares for another typical day

Prompto got up bright and early for training only to find that it was canceled. Something about Cor’s nephew coming into town and having to take a sabbatical. He wondered what that meant for his training as a cadet, but then he quickly found out that Clarus and Titus would be sharing in Cor’s responsibilities jointly. Prompto didn’t know what was worse; having the terrifying Cor “The Immortal” Leonis be disappointed in him, or having the almost equally terrifying Titus Drautos and Clarus Amicitia be disappointed in him. 

He had no clue why Noctis had asked him to be in his retinue, and he had even less of a clue why he had thought that he could do it. Maybe it was because Noctis was the first person to believe in him. Maybe he had deluded himself into thinking that if Noctis, an actual prince, believed in him, then maybe he could make something of himself. Not particularly smart like Ignis, not buff and strong like Gladio, and not royalty like Noctis, Prompto wondered just what he had going for him that Noctis saw in him. Try as he might, he couldn’t figure it out.

Sighing, Prompto decided to get up anyway and go for a run, the sun not yet risen. He was behind the other cadets, who were already older and wiser than he was, and he knew that he had a lot to do to catch up. After school, he figured he’d go to the training grounds and practice anyway, knowing that the other cadets there would likely bully him mercilessly in Cor’s absence. Whenever Cor wasn’t around, they made it very well known that they couldn’t stand him, that they knew he was only there because of Noctis. Prompto couldn’t even blame them. They were right.

Tired, Prompto pulled on his running shorts and tank top, knowing that they were still too big on him. His parents had insisted that he would grow into them. How could he grow into them if they didn’t give him enough money to eat? Prompto dismissed that thought out of hand. If he budgeted correctly then he would be fine. He just had to be grateful for what he had. After all, it wasn’t every day that a Lucian family would even consider taking in a Niff bastard like him. His parents made sure he knew it too.

Prompto grabbed his cell phone and headphones, both hand-me-downs from Noctis that he gave him when he got a new phone last summer. He hadn’t had one before then, and Noctis insisted that he take it. Somehow, he even convinced his dad to put him on his cell phone plan.  _ If he’s going to be in my retinue then I need to stay in touch with him. _ Prompto knew that the gift was conditional. Either he made it into the Crownsguard or he was out.

At the end of it, Prompto cared too much about Noctis to want to fail. He knew that he didn’t deserve to so much as be friends with the prince of Lucis, but if Noctis deemed him to be a friend and wanted him to be in the Crownsguard then he would do everything in his power to do it. Whatever he had done to convince the prince of Lucis himself to believe in him, Prompto wasn’t going to let him down and fail him. There was nothing he would do not to prove his worth to him.

After getting ready for the morning run, he grabbed his phone and texted Gladio, checking to see if he was up for a morning run as well. Luckily, the Shield texted him back, indicating that he would meet him in the park by the Citadel. Prompto had to book it. He lived in the boroughs, the poor area of the city, and typically took the train from the boroughs to school. Somehow, he had managed to get into Insomnia High on scholarship, likely one of the charity cases to make sure they met their quota. 

Luckily, Gladio indicated that he was still getting ready and had to make a protein shake for when he was done before he set out to go on a run with him. Prompto quickly set out for the park, estimating that it would be faster to run there than to wait for the train. That was one thing that he had going for him. He was easily the fastest cadet out of all the recruits for the Crownsguard. He supposed part of it was from out of a desire to get fit and lose the weight that he needed to, and another part of it was out of the need to run away from the bullies in his life. 

That was something that Prompto didn’t tell Noctis about. Whenever Noctis was around, Prompto knew he was safe. But the moment that Noctis had to go off and do something princely, the moment that he didn’t show up at school, Prompto was a target for the rich kids, the bullies, and those who hated Niflheim. While Lucis and Niflheim had been at peace for years now, the hatred still remained, and everyone loved to target a Niff orphan bastard that not even his adoptive parents wanted to be around. 

It was better not to trouble Noctis with such trivial matters. After all, he was a prince who had to worry about doing princely things, like learning how to run a country. There was no way that Noctis needed to worry about Prompto getting bullied, or the fact that his parents were never home and hadn’t really been home more than once or twice a year since he was five. Prompto had been self-sufficient all this time. There was no need for him to start relying on others to help him now.

“Hey Prom!” Gladio called when Prompto reached the edges of the park. He was standing by the entrance, stretching while he waited for him. 

“Hey Gladio,” Prompto replied as he caught up to him, panting a bit. “Did you wait long?”

“Nah, just got here,” Gladio shrugged. “You look like you went for a run already. You ready for this?”

“You’re just worried I’m going to beat you… again,” Prompt teased. “C’mon.”

They started their run at that, an easy taunt to get Gladio into the racing mood. Prompto was right, of course. He was faster than Gladio, even having already ran from home, and soon enough they were laughing at Gladio’s plight trying to catch up to him. He was just built for running, whereas Gladio was built to be a Shield. There was a reason why Prompto was barely a cadet and Gladio was born into the life of protecting Noctis after all.

Once they had run the several mile track around the park, they reached the entrance where they had started and opted to end there for the day. Prompto still had to run home, shower, and get ready for school. It was the first day of being a high school senior, and while Noctis was looking to go to college, Prompto knew that he wasn’t cut out for that stuff. At one point he thought about getting into photography, and he even played the guitar casually, but ultimately his only chance at having a future was to join the Crownguard.

“Hey Gladio,” Prompto began, feeling both hopeful and nervous. “Do you think you could help me with something?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Gladio asked, stretching out his legs while Prompto did the same so they could prevent muscle cramps.

“Do you think you would be willing to help me train for the Crownsguard?” Prompto asked nervously, looking down at his feet in fear of what Gladio might say. “I want to do a good job and be worthy of being in Noct’s retinue. Right now, I don’t even think I’d be worth stepping in the Citadel.”

“Sure,” Gladio replied. “I know you usually have training before and after school everyday, right? We can always do some extra sessions after training in the evening.”

“Really?” Prompto asked, beaming brightly. “Thank you Gladio! I really want to do a good job, but I’m afraid I’m a screw up and won’t even pass.”

“Nah,” Gladio insisted. “Noctis saw something in you, and he’s never wrong about that stuff. Some of those recruits have been planning on this their entire lives and have already trained for it. You just need some supplemental lessons to catch up. Once you get there, you’ll be at the top of the ranks.”

“Thanks Gladio,” Prompto smiled. He knew it was a lie, but he appreciated the lie nonetheless. “They canceled training for today cause of Cor taking a sabbatical or something. Do you want to start after school today or start tomorrow?”

“Today’s fine,” Gladio considered. “Just give me an hour to get some food before I head on over to the Citadel. You need to eat too.”

“Y-Yeah,” Prompto replied, knowing that he really couldn’t afford to eat much more than he already was. Most of the time his meals consisted of protein shakes. It was enough to get by, and when he got to the end of the month there was usually a little left over so he could treat himself to a real meal. Well, as long as convenience store sandwiches were considered real meals. Most would consider that food of desperation.

Gladio gave him a strange look, like he was trying to read his mind, but he didn’t say anything. “Anyway, I’ll see you at school when we go to drop off Noctis.”

“See ya,” Prompto replied. He took off down the street, heading back to the boroughs so he could take a quick shower and get dressed in his school uniform. Ignoring the sense of dizziness washing over him as he ran, he pushed onward. 

There were several times throughout the day that he typically got tired or dizzy when he ran. Prompto knew that he just needed a boost of energy, and he relied mostly on coffee injected into his protein shakes to keep him going. No one really asked him at school why he didn’t eat, and the few times Noctis asked, he just told him that he preferred to have a protein shake for lunch and a full breakfast and dinner. He didn’t like lying to Noctis, but inconveniencing him with the truth would be worse. Noctis already did so much for him already.

Once Prompto got home, he made his way to the fridge and grabbed the pre-made protein shake and poured it in a cup then grabbed the cold brew coffee and put a decent amount in it. After mixing it together, Prompto took a long drink of it then made his way upstairs to take a shower.

Prompto made sure to take a quick shower, knowing that his parents paid attention to how much water, heat, and air conditioning he used depending on the time of year. Typically he kept the windows open during the summer, but when school started he was allowed to turn on the air conditioning until it got cooler. Rarely was he allowed to turn on the heat. If he did, he would get a call almost immediately from his parents.

Showered, clean, and dry, Prompto pulled on his school uniform, something he was still paying his parents back for. They had told him that if he went to any school that required a uniform then he would have to pay for it. Since he had gone through a growth spurt, Prompto unfortunately had to buy a new uniform from the second hand store and was having the funds for it taken out of his monthly budget. He had to tighten his belt just a bit, forego a couple extra treats, but he made it work. In a couple months it would be paid off.

After brushing his teeth and trying to get his hair tamed without much success, Prompto made his way downstairs and finished the rest of his protein shake while he got another ready for lunch. That one he put in a travel mug and then grabbed his worn down messenger bag and his old guitar case then made his way towards the train station to go to school.

Prompto had found a perfectly good guitar in a dumpster behind a music store and had been lucky enough to snag it before someone caught him. He had been in middle school at the time, and instead of begging his parents to get him lessons, he had taught himself through online tutorials thanks to his parents at least giving him a laptop to use. While he didn’t think he was a decent guitarist, he had fun, and right now the only time and energy he had to practice was during lunch. Luckily, Noctis didn’t seem to mind that much.

The other thing he managed to find in a dumpster was his camera. It was something that he coveted probably more than anything. While Prompto knew that he didn’t deserve to be friends with Noctis, Gladio, or Ignis, he was grateful for the time he had with them. Because of that, he took as many photos as he possibly could while they were together. At least when he ended up on his own again, he could look fondly back at this time and remember it happily. 

Before Prompto got on the train, he pulled out his knit cap and put it on, hiding his blond hair. There was no way he was going to ride the train without it, knowing that there were people on there that would immediately attack him for being a Niff. His freckles were enough of a giveaway, but the blond hair was a guarantee for pain. Just as an added safety measure, he stood by the door in the event that he had to get out and run.

Luckily, today was one of the days that he made it to the upper side of Insomnia without issue, the first obstacle avoided. The rest of the walk would be trying to avoid the bullies at the high school until he found Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio. Ignis and Gladio were required to drop Noctis off at school, and since they were so tall in comparison to everyone else it made them relatively easy to find. 

“Hey!” one of his bullies called, catching him as he took his hat off. He had made it off the platform and was walking across the street when he got spotted. “Niff bastard!”

Prompto took off, not even bothering to wait. He weaved in and out of the crowd of people, students and adults alike, calculating the fastest route to the school. He was close to Insomnia High, about five blocks away. As long as he kept up the pace he would be fine. As long as he wasn’t intercepted he would be alright.

Another score of luck for him. He managed to reach the school without being intercepted or getting too dizzy and found Noctis just as he was arriving. Skidding to a breathless stop, he smiled at his best friend, the prince beaming back at him. In some other life, Prompto would have supposed that maybe Noctis would have liked him as more than a friend. But Noctis was a prince, and Prompto was just a poor Niff bastard that didn’t even deserve to be near him. There was no point in even considering that.

“Hey Prom,” Noctis said. “Why are you so breathless?”

“What can I say? You take my breath away,” Prompto tried lamely, giving Noctis a finger gun. 

“Oof, he’s been hanging around you too much, Specs,” Gladio joked. “We’ll see you guys after school. Stay out of trouble. Oh and Noctis, remember what your dad said.”

“What did your dad say?” Prompto asked as they walked into the school.

“Nothing much,” Noctis replied, a red tint on his cheeks. Prompto wondered why. Maybe it was from the sun. “Cor’s nephew is in Insomnia for a while, so he’s enrolled in this school. Dad wants me to show him the ropes. So us, I guess. And get this, his nephew’s name is Cor Leonis.”

“What?! Really?” Prompto asked with a laugh. “I guess his parents are fans.”

“You think?” Noctis laughed. He linked arms with Prompto as they made their way inside. “You doing okay dude? You feel a little thin.”

“What? Oh yeah, I’m fine,” Prompto replied. “No different than usual.”

They made their way into the school, another normal day with only the minor difference of dealing with Cor’s nephew. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompto's got it rough... and he hides it all from Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio.   
> Meanwhile Noctis
> 
> Prompto: You took my breath away  
> Noctis: hejakthekjehakjtheakjthaektjeahkjh *blushing, obviously in love with him*  
> Prompto: *finger guns cause he's the prince so there's no way*  
> Noctis: *laughs nervously*
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading~!!! :D


	4. The First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor goes back to school.
> 
> TW: Bullying, racism

Cor couldn’t believe he was doing this. He couldn’t believe that Regis and Clarus fucking convinced him to blend in as a high school senior, of all things. They had managed to wrangle some uniforms for him at the last possible minute and enroll him in the school, but the idea of being a grown man trapped in a seventeen year old’s body was enough to send him reeling. Why did he have to go to high school on top of it all?

“Class,” the teacher said, making Cor want to groan internally. He was standing at the front of the class with the teacher, wearing his uniform and trying not to glare too much. He noticed how Noctis, Lunafreya, and Prompto were all in the same class. Whether that was a gift or a curse, he couldn’t say. “We have all grown together throughout the years, but we now have a new student joining our class for the time being. This is Cor Leonis, nephew to the Lord Marshal. He is coming all the way from Altissia and will be living here in Insomnia. Cor, is there anything you’d like to tell the class?”

“I’m only here for a short time so there’s no point in getting to know me,” Cor said gruffly. The teacher looked shocked by the admission, but Cor didn’t waver. As suspected, the glare that he had on his face wasn’t quite as effective with adults as it was in his adult body. The students looked intimidated at least. Good. The more they stayed away from him, the easier time he would have figuring things out.

“Very well,” the teacher said finally. “Why don’t you go and take a seat next to Prompto Argentum? He’s sitting right in front of the prince and princess.”

“Whatever,” Cor replied. He shrugged and walked over to the set of desks. They were all neatly in a row, two by two, so that students had a partner to work with when it was time to pair up. Sighing, he kept his hands in his pockets as he sat next to Prompto.

Prompto startled a bit then settled back into his seat. He turned the other way and looked at Noctis, who Cor caught shrugging and grimacing out of the corner of his eye. They had no doubt been instructed to welcome him. He wasn’t exactly making it easy on them, but then again he didn’t exactly want to be there. Maybe they would just end up leaving him alone.

The lesson started, and Prompto ultimately faced forward, his notebook out on his desk as he furiously took notes. Cor noticed that he was squinting several times, like he couldn’t see the chalkboard, and at one point he turned around to ask Noctis what it said. Did he not have glasses or contacts? Why didn’t he ask the teacher to put him in the front of the classroom? He didn’t get it. The guy was definitely weird.

When the teacher turned it to them to work in pairs, Prompto looked at Cor with a nervous smile. “So uh… you wanna work in pairs like we’re supposed to?”

“I guess,” Cor replied with a shrug. “Just so you know, the answer is b.”

“What?” Prompto asked in surprise. He looked at his notebook then squinted at the blackboard, trying to see what was written. “How did you get that? Did you do it in your head?”

“Here.” Cor leaned forward and took Prompto’s pencil and notebook. He noticed how the notebook looked more like a bunch of random bits of lined paper glued together in an old notebook cover. While he didn’t say anything about it, the blush on Prompto’s face indicated that he could tell Cor noticed. Ignoring it for now, he showed Prompto how to do the problem.

“Oh is that it?” Prompto asked excitedly, looking at the work with a smile that took Cor by surprise. “I thought she wrote something else. Thanks!”

“Sure,” Cor replied with a shrug. “It’s easy once you know how to do it.”

“Definitely,” Prompto nodded. He ran his hand over the back of his head with a smile. Cor had a feeling he did that when he was nervous. “Sorry you had to teach me how to do it. I should be on top of this stuff, but I’ve never been good at anything really.” 

“Doubtful,” Cor argued. “You probably just need glasses. When’s the last time you had your eyes checked?”

Prompto looked at him in confusion, but the bell rang to signal it was the end of the first half of the day and was now lunch. Their conversation was interrupted by Noctis immediately being on Prompto, throwing his arms around his neck and resting his chin on his shoulder from behind. Cor wondered if they were secretly dating. That would explain why Noctis wanted him in the retinue.

“Lunch on the rooftop?” Noctis offered. It didn’t sound like much of a question, though, and Cor had a feeling that Prompto did whatever the prince wanted at any point in time. Did he have a right to say no?

“Do you want to join us?” Prompto asked Cor. “It’s quiet up there. We think the teachers don’t mind cause it keeps Noctis and Luna out of the way in the lunchroom. Otherwise they get badgered by the students there.”

“Sure,” Cor conceded, although he didn’t sound particularly enthused. “I’ll head to the lunchroom first.”

“I’ll show you where to go then,” Prompto offered. Did this guy always go out of his way for everyone? “If you don’t know where to go then you’ll probably get lost.”

“See you up there Prom,” Noctis offered as he and Luna went on without them. He didn’t look too happy with it though.

“Do you usually buy lunch?” Cor asked as they walked to the lunchroom together. He didn’t see Prompto carrying a lunch, just a travel mug.

“Nah,” Prompto shrugged. They walked into the busy lunchroom and got in line to grab a tray for Cor. “I just have a protein shake for lunch.”

“That can’t be healthy,” Cor frowned. He was training for the Crownsguard and supplementing his lunches with protein shakes?

“Oh it’s fine,” Prompto said dismissively. “I eat breakfast and dinner, so it’s nothing to worry about.”

Cor noticed how thin and frail he looked and didn’t really think Prompto was telling the full truth. “I can buy you lunch, you know. As thanks for showing me around.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Prompto replied quickly. He looked around, as if he was waiting for someone to overhear them. He dropped his voice really low as Cor set his tray on the line and grabbed the food that he wanted, taking some extra for Prompto. “To be honest, it’s better if you aren’t caught being nice to me.”

“Why?” Cor asked, confused. 

“Well I’m Niff,” Prompto nearly whispered. “It’s one thing if I’m nice to you, but it’s another if you’re nice to me. If Noct is around it’s fine, but without him here… Just don’t tell him okay? He has enough to worry about. I just wanted to warn you so you don’t do anything rash.”

Cor considered what Prompto said as he paid for his food. Why did being from Niflheim matter? The war was over right? They didn’t really have any need for partisan politics in the Citadel. So why was it so different outside? Was it just in the schools or was it everywhere?

“Hey Niff!” a voice called behind them just as they started making their way to the stairwell. Prompto froze and looked at Cor in terror.

“Just go,” Prompto whispered. They turned around and saw a tall jock walking towards them, not quite as tall or as buff as Gladio but clearly trying to emulate that body type.

“Where’s the prince?” he sneered, getting too close to Prompto for comfort. “Not here to protect you right now?”

“I-I-I-” Prompto tried, but he cut him off.

“I-I-I,” the jock echoed back mockingly. “You’re too stupid to even talk. When are you going to learn that your kind are never welcome here, Niff cunt? Your precious little prince can only protect you so much.”

“I’m j-joining the Crownsguard!” Prompto tried. The jock only laughed, the group gathering around them laughing with him. 

“What’s a puny little runt like you going to do in the Crownsguard?” the jock laughed. “Other than keel over and die? Or maybe that’s why you’re joining? To be fodder for the king!”

“Hey!” Cor snapped. He had enough. To be in the Crownsguard was a noble pursuit, and no one person was sent as fodder for anyone. And Prompto certainly didn’t deserve to be called such names. “Knock it off.”

“Ooh! And who is this? Your  _ boyfriend _ ?” the jock laughed. Prompto’s ears flushed red, and Cor had a feeling that they were touching a nerve that no one knew about. “What are you going to do?”

“Hold this,” Cor said to Prompto as he handed him the lunch tray. Prompto objected, but he ultimately took it as Cor squared off against the jock. He was taller than him, likely had more muscle, but Cor had more training. Just because he was seventeen again didn’t mean he didn’t remember how to fight. “Leave Prompto alone.”

Cor glared at the jock, daring him to do something. The jock laughed, clearly not finding him intimidating based on size alone. He positioned himself, ready for a fight, and made to punch Cor in the face. Cor went low and brought his fist up, punching him right in the solar plexus, a particularly painful area. The jock likely knew how to deal a punch, but it was clear he didn’t know how to take one. Within an instant, he was doubled over on the ground, clutching at his side.

“Let’s go,” Cor said, taking the tray from Prompto and walking away as everyone stared, dumbfounded. Prompto quickly followed after him, eventually walking beside him to walk up the steps to the roof.

“How did you do that?!” Prompto asked in stunned awe. Cor felt irritated by the question. He was training to be in the Crownsguard. He should have been able to stick up for himself. “That’s amazing! It’s just like the Lord Marshal. You should see him when he moves! Oh wait, he’s your uncle. Never mind. You’ve probably already seen him.”

“Yeah,” Cor replied awkwardly. “I learned from him and, uh, studied in Altissia too. Didn’t realize you thought so highly of the Lord Marshal.”

“Oh man, are you kidding?” Prompto asked. “Everyone thinks he’s amazing. I know I’ll never even come close to how amazing he is, but I’m hoping that I can at least be worth getting into the Crownsguard completely. Gladio’s going to help me train extra. Oh, he’s Noctis’ Shield.”

“You talk a lot, you know,” Cor pointed out. He didn’t expect the reaction that he got.

Prompto visibly withdrew into himself, his shoulders hunching forward as his eyes were cast down to his feet. He frowned and nodded, going so far as to step further away from him as they made their way up the steps, taking one step ahead of him. “Sorry.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Cor tried, realizing he really fucked up. Who had made Prompto so afraid to share himself with the world? Was that why he was so timid and let others walk all over him?

Prompto only nodded and was silent after that, constantly staying ahead of Cor no matter how many times he tried to catch up. When they made it up to the roof, they were greeted with sunshine and fresh air, a far cry from the stifling fluorescence within. Cor heard Luna and Noctis whispering about something, and as they stepped over to the railing where they were sitting, he noticed how they had stopped.

“What took you so long?” Noctis asked as Prompto sat down against the railing, somewhat removed from them. Cor made to sit next to Prompto, but Luna patted the seat next to her. Reluctantly, he took the seat.

“Just showing Cor around,” Prompto lied with a clearly forced smile. “So he doesn’t get lost the next time.”

“I got some extra lunch if anyone wants some,” Cor offered, hoping Prompto would take him up on the offer. He didn’t budge, though. Instead he took a sip of his protein shake then set it down, as if he wasn’t even hungry for that.

“You got a new song you’re working on?” Noctis asked Prompto. Prompto nodded. “Well, don’t hold out on us, man. Let’s hear it.”

“I don’t know,” Prompto said, glancing at Cor then away quickly.

“Oh come on,” Noctis implored him. “The newbie isn’t going to hate you for playing some music.”

Prompto bit his bottom lip and then nodded. He grabbed the ratty guitar case and set it in front of him, pulling a worn down guitar out of it. Cor was about to ask why he had such an old guitar, but he figured it was due to sentimental value or something. It tuned well enough as Prompto messed with it, and when it was ready, he strummed a few soulful chords.

“Uh,” Prompto began uncertainly, not looking up from the guitar. “This is a song I’ve been practicing a bit.”

Prompto began to play the guitar, surprising Cor with how his fingers moved so seamlessly over the strings. It was as if he was a natural at it. Why was he going for the Crownsguard instead of a music career? He obviously was a natural.

_ I have climbed the highest mountains  
_ _ I have run through the field  
_ _ Only to be with you  
_ _ Only to be with you _

Cor felt his mouth open slightly in surprise when he heard Prompto sing. It was more beautiful and soulful than anything he had ever heard before, something that sounded like he had been blessed by the Six with a voice that belonged on a stage. It struck his heart, making it ache as he watched the very words that Prompto sang paint his lips as his eyes closed and he felt the music while he played. Prompto was more than just some blond kid. He was talented. He was beautiful.

_ I have kissed these honey lips  
_ _ Felt the healing in the fingertips  
_ _ It burned like fire  
_ _ This burning desire _

_ But I still haven’t found  
_ __ What I’m looking for  
_ But I still haven’t found  
_ __ What I’m looking for

They all sat and listened as Prompto played, but Cor felt his heart move in more ways than one, although he didn’t know it at the time. Towards the end of the song, he caught Noctis staring at Prompto and recognized something on his face that Prompto seemed unaware of. Noctis stared at Prompto with a longing look of adoration, a loving kindness that indicated he wanted to be with him more than anything. It was clear that Noctis was in love with Prompto, and Prompto had no clue.

Prompto finished the song and the three of them clapped. He offered a small smile and bit his bottom lip nervously. Cor had a feeling that he didn’t really play for anyone but Noctis. Setting the guitar back in its case, he grabbed his protein shake and took a longer drink of it.

“That’s amazing,” Cor said. “You should pursue a career in music.”

“Nah,” Prompto replied quietly. “There are plenty of great musicians out there. Better than me, at least.”

“He’s right Prom,” Noctis encouraged him. “You’re great.”

“You only say that cause you’re obligated as my best friend,” Prompto shot back with a laugh and a smile. “Anyway, I’m not cut out for school or anything as it is. I can barely pass now.”

Cor opened his mouth to ask Prompto about getting his eyesight checked again, but the door to the roof opened and a teacher stepped out onto the roof. He looked stern, angry, like he was there to punish someone. No doubt he was there for Cor after punching that guy in the stomach.

“Prompto Argentum?” the teacher asked, looking at him.

“Yes, sir?” Prompto replied, his confusion matching everyone else’s.

“The principal wants to see you,” he said gruffly. “Grab your things. You’re not coming back.”

Prompto frowned and gathered his materials, but he didn’t object. Cor stood up and looked at him, but Prompto only shook his head. What the hell was this? Why was he being taken to the principal’s office?

“What’d Prompto do?” Noctis asked once they were gone.

“Absolutely nothing,” Cor replied, staring at the door as if Prompto was going to come back and laugh and tell him it was a joke. He didn’t. “I was the one who did something.”

Despite Prompto telling him to keep it a secret, he sat back down and told Noctis what happened. Noctis looked furious and like he was ready to charge after them.

“Let’s just wait and see what they say,” Cor offered. “Maybe it’s not what we think.”

He wished he felt as confident as he sounded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cor: I'm gonna be angry and ignore everyone  
> Also Cor: *sees Prompto* BABY WHO HURT YOU I WILL KILL THEM  
> Noctis the entire time: ;--;
> 
> The versions of the song that I imagined Prompto doing are these two here. They are really beautiful and I highly recommend giving them both a listen. <3  
> [Taps Cover](https://youtu.be/dZSbMbx2ZEk)  
> [Gustavo Trebien Cover](https://youtu.be/LjnJRKnhAVE)
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I am so very happy to continue this fic. I know a lot of people aren't into PromCor, but this is something that I really do love.


	5. Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto talks to the principal
> 
> TW: Racism against Niflheim

Prompto followed the teacher down the hall, his anxiety turning to fear as they passed classroom after classroom. He knew exactly what it was about, and yet he hoped that the principal would see through the lies. Never once had Prompto been in trouble. In fact, he did everything he could to avoid getting into trouble just to avoid situations like this. Why didn’t Cor just leave him alone and let him take whatever the jock was going to do to him?

“Sir,” the teacher said as he knocked on the principal’s door. “I have the student here.”

“Send him in,” the principal replied from the other side. The teacher roughly pushed Prompto through the door, and he stumbled and nearly fell into the office. The door closed roughly behind him.

Prompto stood in front of the principal as he sat behind his desk, looking at him with expectant eyes. Nervously, he approached the man and sat down, hoping that this wasn’t what he thought it was. There was a prolonged silence as they sat there, the principal staring at him as he looked down at his hands. When the principal finally spoke, Prompto nearly jumped in surprise.

“So tell me what happened in the lunchroom today,” the principal began, staring at Prompto expectantly. “Or rather, tell me why you thought it was acceptable to punch a student, rendering him unable to move, just because you’re training to be in the Crownsguard?”

“I didn’t punch anyone, sir,” Prompto said, looking at the principal in desperation. 

“Then why did our star student athlete tell us that you bragged about joining the Crownsguard and then punched him? Do you think you can get away with it because you are friends with Prince Noctis?” he asked. Prompto knew that no matter what he said, this wouldn’t end well. 

“I didn’t punch anyone, sir,” Prompto repeated, hoping that if he just told the truth then maybe things would go the way they were supposed to. 

“If there’s one thing I can’t tolerate about  _ your kind _ , it’s how you Niffs are all a bunch of filthy liars,” the principal sneered. He handed Prompto’s two envelopes, one addressed to his parents and the other address to… the Lord Marshal? “You are suspended for a week. And that letter goes to the Lord Marshal. It’s a recommendation for your expulsion from the Crownsguard. I’m sure he’ll agree once he hears what you did.”

“But I-” Prompto tried, but the principal cut him off.

“The next time you think about hurting a Lucian or having someone else do your dirty work, think again. Learn to take the punches you’re given.” The principal waved his hand dismissively, giving Prompto no leeway to argue. 

Prompto stood up and grabbed his things, tucking the letters in his bag. Numbly, he stepped out of the principal’s office and looked at his trembling hands, his knees going weak.  _ Why? Why? My entire life is over before it could begin. Why couldn’t he just stay out of it? Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? _

Tears came to his eyes and he wiped them away quickly before heading towards the school exit. Sniffling to try and keep his tears away, Prompto tried to walk out of the school as quickly as possible. He almost made it to the door before he heard Noctis calling for him. Turning around, he saw Noctis, Luna, and Cor walking towards him, all three of them looking upset. Shaking his head, he pulled his cap on and left the school, knowing that someone would stop the prince of Lucis and princess of Tenebrae before they were able to leave.

Once he was outside, he felt his phone go off and checked the text messages. There was one from Noctis, of course. Why wouldn’t there be? He just left the school in tears for seemingly no reason.

_ [Noctis:] Dude, what happened?! Why’d you just leave like that?  
_ _ [Prompto:] I’m suspended for the week & the principal wrote a letter to the Lord Marshal asking for my expulsion from the Crownsguard.  
_ _ [Noctis:] What?! He can’t do that! You didn’t do anything wrong!  
_ __ [Prompto:] Apparently he just did. I’m going home. Once school is over I’ll go to the Citadel to give him the letter. Gladio should be there by then. I’ll have to apologize to him too. I’ll give you your phone back too, Noct. I know you only gave it to me cause you wanted me in your retinue. I’m sorry. I let you down too.  
_ [Noctis:] Just hang in there Prom. We’ll figure it out. There’s no way I’ll let them do this to you when you didn’t even do anything!  
_ __ [Prompto:] It was only a matter of time. I’m sorry.

Prompto put his phone away and made the trek back home on the train. A couple of people shouted slurs at him, but for the most part he was left alone. When he reached his house, he stepped inside and kicked off his shoes, careful not to turn on the lights. His parents would get mad at him if he used any extra electricity, especially if he was suspended.

“Hey mom, hey dad,” Prompto said with bitter sarcasm as he set the letter for them on the kitchen table. “Got a letter for ya.”

Setting the rest of his stuff down, he went upstairs and changed into shorts and a shirt. There was nothing for him to do now that he had been suspended on his first day, now that he wasn’t going to be a part of Noctis’ retinue. Angrily, he grabbed his guitar and began to play his heart, the anger and rage and pain that he felt. It wasn’t fair. He had never done anything in his life to warrant what he had received, and yet just based on being from Niflheim, he was guilty enough as it was. 

Prompto didn’t know how long he played. He just played and sang until his throat was sore and his eyes were tired from crying. All this time he had hope for the future, hope that he could finally make something of his life. There was a goal that he had, one that he could achieve, and he wasn’t going to give up until he achieved it. Yet now it was all gone. Everything. Just like that. No more Noctis, no more retinue, no more Crownsguard. 

When it was time, Prompto gathered his keys, his phone, the letter, and a bottle of water before he made his way out to the Citadel. On the train ride, he kept his knit cap on as usual, sitting on the seat with his eyes trained on his hands. Occasionally someone would scoff at him or bump him, throwing slurs at him for being Niff, but he was used to it. Without much left to do, he stepped off the train and made his way into the Citadel.

The guards there were used to seeing him since he was training with the Crownsguard and Noctis’ best friend, but they checked his identification and patted him down nevertheless every time. Prompto noticed how they didn’t do that with the other standard recruits who showed up, the others who were clearly Lucian by birth. Even the Galahdans were just waved right on in. Only the Niffs were stopped. 

Sighing, Prompto made his way to the offices where Captain Titus Drautos would certainly be. Where Clarus Amicitia was remained to be seen. He could have been anywhere as long as the king was out and about. And with Cor on sabbatical, that left only one person to hand deliver the letter to. Prompto honestly had no clue just how bad it was going to be. Horrible, he assumed.

The offices for all of the captains, glaives in command, and other officers were located near the training grounds in the event that they needed to be there to break up the occasional fight that happened. Prompto found his way there easily enough. He supposed that he considered himself lucky to have gotten there before Gladio arrived. If Gladio wasn’t there then it meant Noctis wouldn’t be there either. It would make the pain easier.

With a deep breath to tuck his heart away along with his tears, he knocked on the black door to Captain Drautos’ office. When he heard a gruff “come in,” Prompto opened the door with no small amount of trepidation, closing it behind him. The captain was sitting in his chair, and he clearly looked surprised to see him there.

“How can I help you cadet?” Captain Drautos asked, looking at him expectantly.

“Sir, I was informed to bring this letter to the Lord Marshal, sir,” Prompto said, offering the letter for him with shaking hands. He tried to steady them, but it only made it worse. “But he’s on sabbatical, sir.”

“So he is,” Drautos mused. He took the letter from Prompto and opened it up, reading it right in front of him. Prompto had really hoped that he would have read it after he left. “Are the contents in this true?”

Prompto opened his mouth to speak, but he hesitated. What was he supposed to say? Yes? They weren’t true at all. He didn’t hurt anyone. Nor did he put anyone up to hurting anyone else. But if he said no would Drautos just call him a liar and would that make it even worse? 

Instead, he hesitated long enough for Drautos to stand up and step around the desk, standing nearly nose to nose with him, bearing down on him in that horribly intimidating way that he somehow knew how to do. What was it about captains and their ability to scare Prompto shitless?

“I asked you, cadet, if the contents of this letter are true.” Drautos annunciated each word like it was a sentence, and Prompto felt his legs trembling. Before he could answer, the door to the room suddenly swung open and the Lord Marshal’s nephew, Cor, stormed into the room. “What are you doing here?”

“Stopping you from making a mistake,” Cor said. Prompto stared at him in shock. What made him think he could talk to Captain Drautos that way? “That letter is a lie.”

“Says who?” Drautos asked, looking at Cor like he was no more than a fly on the wall.

“Says me,” Cor replied. “And my uncle, the Lord Marshal, knows that I don’t lie about this stuff. If you kick him out of the Crownsguard then you’re making a mistake. I’m willing to take this as high as the king himself if that’s what it takes.”

The captain stared at the teen for a long moment, and then some sort of recognition came over his features. He looked at Prompto with a sigh. “Is he telling the truth?”

“Yes, sir,” Prompto said hastily, knowing that maybe he had a chance if someone who wasn’t Niff stuck up for him. “I didn’t do anything, yet the school saw it fit to punish me anyway.”

“Fucking racist assholes,” Drautos snapped. He took the letter and tore it up then threw it in the garbage. “You’re a decent young man for doing your duty, but don’t be afraid to speak the truth here. Not with me. I know what it’s like to have to protect my men from bigots like this. You’re safe here, Argentum. Keep your chin up. Six knows the rest of the world will try and bring you down.”

“Thank you, sir,” Prompto said, feeling a flood of relief wash through him. “I appreciate knowing that I can come to you for help.”

“As long as you do your best in practice,” Drautos recommended him. “Now I expect to see you tomorrow bright and early for your scheduled session. And after school.”

“Yes sir,” Prompto said. The captain dismissed them both, giving Cor a lingering look, but ultimately letting them go. When Prompto stepped out of the office, he braced his hands against his knees and took several deep breaths, trying to steady his nerves. 

“You okay?” Cor asked, standing in front of him.

“Why did you do that?” Prompto asked, looking up at him. “You didn’t owe me anything.”

“Cause it was the right thing to do,” Cor replied, his expression clearly surprised. “What do you mean why would I do that? Wouldn’t you do the same?”

“Yeah but…” Prompto looked at him longingly. “No one’s ever done that for me before.”

“Noctis would’ve done the same thing,” Cor shrugged. “But I told him I was there so it would’ve been better coming from me.”

“Thank you,” Prompto said. He managed to stand up, feeling a bit more stable and looked at Cor with a gratitude that he never knew he could feel for someone. “Thank you, Cor. I was sure that my life was over.”

“Oh come on, that’s an over exaggeration,” Cor chided him as they walked out to the training grounds. Gladio still wasn’t there yet, so Prompto opted to wait for him on the sidelines. “There’s some sort of backup plan you have, right?”

“No,” Prompto replied, shaking his head. “I’ve been kind of confused why Noctis even thinks I’m good enough to be in the Crownsguard, let alone his retinue. I was probably just going to get some odd jobs here and there after graduation. Find a way to support myself, you know?”

“But your parents want you to go to college, right?” Cor asked, a furrow on his brow that reminded Prompto of his uncle. “I mean, they’re paying for you to go to the best high school in Lucis.”

“I’m on scholarship,” Prompto explained with a shrug. “My parents don’t really care where I go, just as long as I graduate and am out of the house after. They want to get rid of it.”

“Where will they go?” Cor asked.

Prompto shrugged again. “Altissia? Niflheim? Lestallum? I honestly don’t know. They don’t tell me where they go now, so I don’t think they’ll tell me once I’m out of the house. If I asked them to help me through college they’d laugh in my face.”

Realizing he was telling Cor, practically a stranger, way too much, he blushed bright red and looked down at his feet.  _ You talk too much, Prom. He’s going to be so annoyed with you. Why the fuck can’t you shut up? You don’t even tell Noctis this. _

“Sorry,” Prompto conceded. “I didn’t mean to just dump that on you. I just don’t tell many people about this stuff, I guess. Not even Noct knows. Anyway, thanks for your help.”

“Anytime,” Cor replied, his voice oddly calm, like he was holding something back. “Seriously, Prompto. If you need to go somewhere or just want to hang out sometime, we can. I don’t know what I can do for you beyond that.”

“Dude, you don’t have to do anything,” Prompto replied, feeling a sense of pity from Cor. “I don’t need the charity. I’m fine on my own.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Cor tried. Prompto’s phone went off and he answered it, grateful for the reprieve. 

“Hey Gladio,” Prompto said as he answered it. 

“Hey Prom,” Gladio said in a rush. “I completely forgot about training today. Can we reschedule for tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Prompto replied right away, feeling his heart sink into his stomach. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks, man. I owe ya. I finally convinced Nyx to go on a date with me. I’m hoping we can make it work. Talk to you later!” Gladio ended the call before Prompto could even say anything else. 

Sighing, he looked at his phone and texted Noctis briefly, letting him know that Cor got things sorted for him. He put the phone back in his pocket and noticed that Cor was staring at him. Running his hand over his face, Prompto suddenly felt far too tired to deal with all of this.

“Well, I have the week off,” Prompto said with a shrug. “Gladio canceled today. Guess there’s nothing to do but train on my own.”

“I wasn’t pitying you, you know,” Cor attempted.

“Yes you were,” Prompto replied. “I know pity when I see it. I get it all the time. I’m either hated or pitied. You know why I like Noct so much? He treats me like I’m me. I don’t feel like I’m a charity case with him. It’s why I keep stuff from him cause I know he’d try to fix it. I don’t want that, and I don’t want to burden him.”

Cor walked over to him and stood in front of him. Prompto stared up at him through his lashes as he leaned against the wall, his shoulders slightly hunched over. Before he could step away, Cor gently grabbed his hand and held it in his. There was a soft beating in Prompto’s heart that he never felt before. It wasn’t quite an ache, but it was full of yearning and longing.

“You’re not a burden to me,” Cor said, his voice soft and gentle. “And you’re not something to be pitied. I don’t want to save you. Just rely on me a little, okay? Especially when you feel like you can’t go to anyone else. Everyone needs someone.”

“Will you come to me too?” Prompto asked, his heart thumping in his chest.

“Yeah,” Cor replied, his voice barely a whisper. “Come on. Let’s train. Gladio might have canceled, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up. I can teach you a few things.”

“Really?” Prompto asked, smiling for the first time since much earlier in the day.

“Sure,” Cor shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Prompto followed him out onto the mat, unable to help but think that maybe this Cor guy was pretty decent after all. Too late, he realized as they began to practice, it wasn’t just a friendliness that he felt towards him. Prompto could tell that he was developing a crush on Cor, and it scared him to death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cor to the rescue! But also Noctis wanted to help but it was Cor who did it cause he was there and was actually the one to throw the punch. >.> Imagine what could've happened if it was Noctis instead.... It's almost as if Cor is stealing Noctis' spot *thinking pose*
> 
> Thank you all to those who are reading this! I realize this is kind of a niche fic in the sense that there are a bunch of rare pairs and PromCor is certainly one that's not really written about popularly. But I really love writing this fic and find it really important that I tell this story since it's been in my mind forever. So I am 1million percent appreciative of any reader who is sticking with this. I hope you enjoy it!!! <3


	6. Fools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis has a study partner come over to work with him

“Why does this Cor guy get all the attention?” Noctis whined as he sat in Ignis’ apartment, looking at him with a petulance that only made his advisor sigh slightly. Ignis felt for Noctis, yet how Prompto was oblivious was beyond him. “My dad told  _ me _ to get along with him. Not Prom. And now they’re acting like best friends.”

“Prompto was just being a good host,” Ignis explained for the millionth time that week. “And Cor is repaying his debt by helping him train while Gladio is busy chasing after Nyx. Give it time. They’ll be tired of each other soon enough.”

“I hope you’re right,” Noctis sighed, slumping forward on the kitchen table instead of doing his homework. “He got suspended because of Cor, you know.”

Ignis did know. He had been informed by Noctis already. Several times. “Why don’t you just tell Prompto how you feel?”

“And potentially ruin our friendship?! I can’t do that. He’ll find me weird for liking him. I mean, he’s so beautiful he could have any girl he wants. Why would he want a guy instead?” Noctis sounded like a broken record more and more each day, but Ignis understood his trepidation. While it wasn’t taboo to be gay for a common citizen, it was something else entirely for a prince. 

“Eventually Prompto will meet someone, man or woman, and fall in love unless you act,” Ignis pointed out. “You need to do something before you end up heartbroken because of your own inaction. Isn’t there the winter trip coming up to the onsen? Why not ask him out when you both go on that?”

“Prompto never goes to those things,” Noctis explained. “I don’t think he’s ever been on a class trip before.”

“Do you think it could have to do with money?” Ignis asked. “I have noticed that most of his clothes are a bit worn for wear.”

“Yeah, I think so,” Noctis considered. “There’s something going on that he won’t tell me, no matter how many times I try and pry or figure it out. I wish he would just open up to me. I’m his best friend, aren’t I?”

“Some people are afraid of the potential to be judged,” Ignis said. “Or pitied. I think Prompto sees you as one of the true people in his life, Noctis. If there is something wrong monetarily then of course he would be afraid of telling you. I imagine he would worry that you think he is trying to take advantage.”

“I’d never think that,” Noctis argued. “He’s my best friend… and I love him. He could ask me for Altissia and I’d find a way to give it to him.”

“My point exactly. He knows you’d do anything for him. If his parents are working hard to provide for him, let him figure out a way on his own. After all, how would you feel if your friend’s son came in and told you that you weren’t caring for him enough? They’re probably doing the best they can.” Ignis saw the flicker of recognition on Noctis’ face.

“You’re right, Ig. Still, it doesn’t mean I have to like it. Prompto is a great guy and deserves to be happy. Maybe he’ll open up more once we get to college.” Noctis sighed and adjusted his posture.

“How do you know he plans on going to college?” Ignis asked. Noctis looked at him curiously. “You make a lot of assumptions about him based on your life. When have you actually asked him what he plans on doing?”

“I haven’t, I guess,” Noctis admitted. “He agreed to join the Crownsguard, so I just figured he’d want to go to college with us too. I’ll have to ask him.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” There was a knock on Ignis’ door. “Now if you don’t mind, Noctis. Not to kick you out, but I’m going to do just that. I have someone coming over to study with me, and we need the space.”

“Alright, I get it,” Noctis said with a sigh. “Try not to give it up on the first date.”

Ignis thwacked Noctis with a book as they both stood up, making the prince yelp playfully. They both made their way to the door, and Noctis looked at Ignis in bemusement as he opened it. There was a driver waiting downstairs for him since Gladio had the night off for a date with Nyx.

“Hey Ravus,” Noctis said with a smile. “Good to see you making a friend here. I’ll see you two later.”

Ravus stepped into the apartment, and Ignis suppressed a sigh, although he made a mental note to give Noctis a stern talking to the next day as he shut the door. He looked every bit a prince, although not as pretentious as his parents did. Wearing black jeans, a white shirt, and his long silver hair pulled back in a low hanging bun, Ignis couldn’t help but admit that he was quite attractive. Then again, Ignisalways thought he was gorgeous. 

“I didn’t realize you had Noctis over,” Ravus said as he sat at the kitchen table, next to where Ignis had been sitting.

“He comes over from time to time to complain about how Prompto hasn’t realized he loves him yet,” Ignis explained. “Honestly, they’re both dense. But it seems Noctis might have some competition now. He needs to act before he loses Prompto completely.”

“Tough luck,” Ravus said, shaking his head. “That’s why I’ve always acted on my beliefs and intuition.”

“And what does your intuition say about this assignment?” Ignis asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“That’s as long as we work on it together we’ll be fine,” Ravus smiled. “Thank you for indulging me, Ignis. You’re really the only person that I can really talk to at the university. Everyone else there either asks about what it’s like to be a prince or about my sister. I’m not taking over the throne, so I just want to pursue my own life.”

“Do you know what you want to do in the future?” Ignis asked him, forgetting completely about the homework already. He knew this was a risk. Ravus was incredibly distracting and always had been.

“I know I want to do something with politics, but not within Tenebrae,” Ravus considered. “I’m thinking about starting grassroots movements and nonprofits to bridge the gap between Niflheim and Lucis while reducing stereotypes and putting an end to racism within communities.” 

“That is a very noble pursuit,” Ignis commended him, feeling a surge of admiration for Ravus. “I think that’s something worth doing as well.”

“It’ll take government backing and support,” Ravus considered. “Would be good to have someone on the inside urging the king to support the movements.”

“Why Ravus,” Ignis said, hoping that he was wrong in his assumptions. “It would seem to me that you’re trying to befriend me just to support your cause.”

“No,” Ravus replied, gently running his hand through Ignis’ hair. “I’m trying to befriend you so I can then kiss you and ask you out. Everything else is just a bonus.”

Ignis smiled at Ravus as the prince leaned forward, closing the gap between them. He hesitated, and Ignis took it the rest of the way, pressing his lips against Ravus’ lightly. There wasn’t any hesitation from Ravus after that, and Ignis felt the prince deepen the kiss, as if he had been hoping for this all along. Ignis leaned further into the kiss as Ravus wove his fingers through his hair, the tips of his fingers resting on the back of his head.

Daringly, Ignis moved towards Ravus, still pressing into the kiss, his tongue caressing the prince’s as he straddled him where he sat. They had known each other growing up thanks to the royal families, but it was only now that they finally had a chance to connect, had a chance to really pursue their passions. Now, with Ignis straddling Ravus, his hands on the prince’s shoulders, he felt his desire building within him.

Ignis felt Ravus’ hands trace down his chest, resting on his hips as he went hard beneath him. The reaction was automatic within Ignis as well, and he felt his own cock go hard. Decidedly, he began to grind against Ravus, feeling their cocks straining against their clothes as they both moaned into the kiss. It felt sublime, like currents of pleasure were begging to be released from his body, something that only Ravus could accomplish.

“Nngh,” Ravus moaned as he pulled away from the kiss, his hands on Ignis’ ass, encouraging him to keep going. “I’m going to have you here and now if you keep this up.”

“Good,” Ignis whispered against his lips before he kissed him again, their tongues hungrier than before.

Ravus was near ravenous at that point. He hungrily stripped off Ignis’ shirt, exposing his bare chest and clearly defined abs. Ignis gasped and moaned as Ravus kissed down to his neck and chest, his lips hungry on his nipple as he thumbed the other one, tantalizing him and making his cock throb with desire. 

“Ravus,” Ignis whispered, his passion nearly clawing at the edges of his consciousness, threatening to take over and overwhelm all proclivities towards common sense. Ravus only continued to indulge him, understanding that the way he touched him was more than pleasurable. 

“If you say my name like that one more time…” Ravus threatened, sending a chill through Ignis’ spine.

“Ravus,” Ignis whispered again, this time with even more seduction in his voice.

Ravus hoisted him up suddenly, sending their study materials scattering on the ground, then roughly lowered him onto the table, furiously grabbing at Ignis’ pants and pulling them off so that he was entirely nude. He looked down at Ignis’ length and licked his lips, making Ignis let out a soft groan of yearning. Ignis found it quite unfair of him to be still dressed while he was exposed.

Luckily, Ravus seemed to think the same. He took off the rest of his clothes, and Ignis’ eyes went wide. To say that Ravus was big was more than an understatement. “Like what you see?”

“No more than you do,” Ignis retorted. Ravus flushed red, but he didn’t turn away. “There’s lubricant in my room. Bedside table. Top drawer.”

“For all of your many affairs?” Ravus asked as he sauntered into the next room, giving Ignis a beautiful view of his ass. He could hear the jealousy in the prince’s voice.

“More like all the nights alone, dreaming of you,” Ignis replied. It was quite an embarrassing thing to admit, but at the same time, if it put Ravus at ease then he would do it. Sure, he had his history of lovers, all brief stints that he wasn’t particularly invested in, but there had always been Ravus in his peripherals. Ignis never thought he could have someone as magnanimous as Ravus, notwithstanding the fact that he was a prince. Perhaps they were both trying to deny themselves the truth that they longed for each other all this time.

“I’m here,” Ravus said softly as he came back into the room, happily positioning himself between Ignis’ legs as he laid on the kitchen table. “And now that I have you, I’m not letting you go.”

“Good,” Ignis said with a smile. “I prefer to be a kept man.”

They smiled at each other lovingly before Ravus leaned over and kissed Ignis deeply once more, their soft and gentle love yielding to a rougher, more passionate desire. With no clothes between them now, Ignis wrapped his legs around Ravus’ waist, both of them moaning as they ground their hips against each other, their friction against their cocks sending waves of pleasure through Ignis.

“Ahh!” Ignis cried out as Ravus coated his fingers in lubricant and inserted one, then another, into his hole, moving them increasingly deeper. He moaned as Ravus pressed deeper, gasping as he worked in a third finger. The more he worked him, the more Ignis wanted him, and he found himself practically drooling and begging for his cock.

“You are so greedy,” Ravus murmured, although he looked at Ignis with a desire that indicated he wanted him just as badly. “It’s a good thing that I am just as greedy for the same thing.”

He pulled out his fingers and coated his cock then positioned himself, looking at Ignis decisively. Ignis nodded and a moment later Ravus was working his cock into him, gripping his hips tightly as he pulsed deeper and deeper in him. Ignis cried out in pleasure, his body wracked with it more and more as Ravus moved in him, filling him. Ravus buried his lips into his neck as he leaned over, and Ignis wrapped his arms around his back and dug his nails in him, the feeling of his cock in him consuming his senses.

“Ravus,” Ignis moaned, his back arching as Ravus moved in him deeper, bottoming out. He felt the man’s cock hitting his prostate, and his hips convulsed and spasmed, his body overcome with pleasure. He cried out again and again from the intensity of it, his hips moving erratically in a need to chase his own climax. Ravus seemed to understand just what he wanted and pulled back, giving himself more leverage to move harder and faster in him as he gripped his hips once more.

“Ignis,” Ravus moaned, sending a spark of electricity through him. “You’re so tight. I’m going to cum if you keep this up.”

“I want you to cum,” Ignis moaned, the sensation of Ravus’ cock against his prostate making his own cock leak pre-cum. It was only a matter of time before he climaxed, and he felt that it would be sooner rather than later. He moved his hips in tandem with Ravus, both of them moaning as the thrusts grew faster and harder. “Ravus… More… More…”

“Cum for me, my love,” Ravus encouraged him. 

Hearing him call Ignis  _ my love _ was all it took. With one final thrust, Ignis climaxed, moaning Ravus’ name as his hips convulsed and spasmed, his muscles tightening around Ravus’ cock in a dizzying electric dance of overwhelming pleasure. Ravus gasped and moaned, bracing himself as he stopped pulsing and came in Ignis, their pleasure mingled together into the ecstasy of fulfillment. 

They were still for a long while, and Ravus held Ignis in his arms. “Did you know? That I’ve loved you since we first met as children?”

“No,” Ignis replied honestly. “But I hoped. I have loved you for likely just as long. I don’t know. It’s been so long since I fell that I can’t remember.”

“You’re too smooth, you know,” Ravus muttered. “When I’m around you, I feel far too flustered for my own good.”

“I’m glad you think I’m smooth,” Ignis smiled. Ravus pulled away enough to look at him lovingly. “Because when I’m around you I feel incredibly foolish.”

“I suppose the old adage is true then,” Ravus said. Ignis looked at him, curious. “Only fools fall in love.”

Ignis smiled lovingly and kissed Ravus. Only fools indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I could break up the angst a bit with some love. But now it's all back to PromCor and Noctis. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this! I appreciate it so much! <3


	7. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor becomes increasingly aware of Prompto

Training with Prompto was something that Cor hadn’t even anticipated on doing, much less doing it for as long as he did. Originally, he had just agreed to do it for the week of Prompto’s suspension, figuring it was the least he could do after he was the one who got him in trouble. He would show up before and after school everyday, and Prompto would already be there practicing each time. At first Cor thought that Prompto wasn’t even going home at night. Then he got the confirmation that he was practicing there all day.

What infuriated him were the jabs and remarks Prompto was getting from fellow recruits. They would laugh at him for being too young, too scrawny, not strong enough, too stupid to pick up things like they could. They would trip him, hit him, punch him even, just for being Niff.

At first Cor got angry at Prompto for not defending himself or taking it to a leader. But when Cor saw firsthand the repercussions of that, the way that the recruits taunted him even more after Cor was the one to bring it to Titus’ attention, he knew to back off. So instead he promised Prompto that he would help him train for the Crownsguard.

It wasn’t that Prompto was any of the things that the recruits said he was. Well, maybe he was too scrawny. That was a concern that was increasingly growing within Cor. The more he practiced and trained, the harder it seemed to get on him, like his body was getting weaker instead of stronger. But he was by no means stupid, and he definitely could pick up on things quite easily. Cor was fairly certain he just needed glasses.

After the first week of practicing with him, Cor noticed that Prompto seemed tired, a bit weary, and more than a little worn down. The other recruits were getting stronger, and Prompto only seemed to be deteriorating. When school resumed, he noticed that the first day back, Prompto was carrying the same protein shake with coffee that he always had. He had a sneaking suspicion about what was happening, and it only made him more and more concerned.

“Hey Prom!” Noctis said as the three of them met in the front of the school before the bell rang. Cor could tell that Noctis was more than a little jealous at his apparent closeness to Prompto. How could he tell him that he was just biding his time until he figured out a way back to his life? Looking at Prompto, he felt an uncomfortable lurch in his stomach at the thought about him just going back to his life. How could he if there was so much that he didn’t know or understand about Prompto?

“Oh hey, Noctis,” Prompto replied, smiling at the prince with an exhaustion that made Cor want to yawn. Noctis flung his arm around Prompto’s shoulders, apparently not noticing his tiredness. “Did ya miss me?”

“You know it,” Noctis smiled. “I mean, we saw each other at the Citadel and all but it’s not the same.”

“Yeah,” Prompto said. He glanced at Cor and smiled at him in a way that made his heart flutter. What was wrong with him? “Thanks for helping me train, Cor. I’m really lucky the Lord Marshal is your uncle.”

“Yup, but now it’s all back to normal,” Noctis interjected before Cor could say anything. “You wanna come hang out after training today?” Prompto looked at Cor, his exhaustion evident, but Noctis pulled him back to him. “C’mon Prom. At this rate I’ll lose you to the Crownsguard and it’ll defeat the purpose.”

“Sure,” Prompto said quietly, resigned to whatever Noctis told him to do. He gave Noctis a smile, just as tired as the last. “Let’s go inside so we’re not late.”

They all made their way inside, Cor silently watching as Noctis kept Prompto close to him. As evident as it was that Noctis was jealous of Cor’s involvement in Prompto’s life, it was not even close to evident to Noctis that Prompto was struggling. Cor suspected that the prince’s jealousy was blinding him to what was really going on. 

As they made their way into the classroom, the teacher pulled Prompto aside to give him all of the work he needed to make up, further piling on the workload that he had to deal with. Cor frowned as he sat down, thinking about what he could do to help. He had Prompto’s phone number, which he pretended he didn’t have already when Prompto gave it to him so they could meet up after school to train. Maybe he would be up for meeting with him to help with the work.

“Well, looks like I won’t be coming over for a while,” Prompto said with a sigh. He sat in his seat next to Cor, accidentally brushing against him. It sent a shock through his body, and he thought about how it wasn’t unpleasant at all. “Oh, sorry.”

“You’re fine,” Cor replied, offering a soft smile. Prompto’s eyes lit up a little, and Cor couldn’t help but smile just a bit wider.

“Damn that really sucks,” Noctis said with a sigh. “When is it all due by?”

“Next Monday,” Prompto sighed. He rested his head on the pile of work, facing the windows, the back of his head pointed towards Cor.

“Since I’m helping you train anyway,” Cor began, considering the offer. “Why don’t we just change that to studying? I can help with your homework since I already did it?”

“You’d do that for me?” Prompto asked, turning his head so he was resting it facing Cor. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, anytime,” Cor shrugged. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

“You could always come over my place to study,” Noctis offered, a little too forced and a little too late.

“Nah, it’s okay Noct,” Prompto replied, still staring at Cor. “I know you don’t like doing homework or studying, so I’ll just work with Cor since he doesn’t mind.”

“I’m near the Citadel too,” Cor said before he caught himself. “Well, I’m staying with my uncle there. Maybe we can go there to study?”

“He won’t mind?” Prompto asked.

“No, it’s fine.” He leaned over so that he was close to Prompto, close enough that he could whisper. “He’s actually out for the time being on something for the crown. It’s a secret though. Said he doesn’t mind if I have a friend or two over but no parties.”

Prompto blushed bright red and smiled at that, sitting up straight and running his hand over his face as if trying to scrub away the blush. It only made the red beneath his freckles worse. Cor thought it was cute. 

Cute? What the hell was he thinking? There was no way that he thought Prompto was cute. He was a teen, a guy that was supposed to be his recruit, someone he had to train and whip into shape… Well, that was who Prompto was before Cor became a seventeen year old teen. Confusion coursed through him, and he realized that he needed to get out of there.

“I’ll be right back,” Cor said suddenly, standing up as the bell rang.

“The bell,” Prompto tried, but Cor was already walking away. He told the teacher he had to use the toilet, and she gave him a hall pass, but he was quick to practically run down the hall and into a side stairwell where it was quiet. Quickly, he dialed Regis’ number.

“What’s wrong?” Regis asked, answering the phone immediately.

“I think I’m losing my mind,” Cor said, looking around as he whispered into the phone. He explained what had happened, waiting for Regis to tell him that he was grotesque, that he was weird, that he needed to get back there and not worry about blending in. Instead, Regis laughed.

“This is exactly what the crystal wants,” Regis practically wheezed. “The Six want you to be this age because what you’re missing was from this age. They want you to find love.”

“That’s impossible, and there’s no fucking way I’m going to fall for someone who is my recruit. Six, he’s your son’s best friend!” Cor snapped into the phone, waiting for Regis to get the gravity of the situation.

“Maybe you’re meant to be with someone younger and that’s why you are young yourself now. Better get on board with it, Cor, cause it’s gonna happen one way or another. The Six don’t give a shit about what we want or what we say. If you’re going to love someone, they’ll make it happen.”

“How can you be so glib about this?!” Cor demanded. “I’m a forty five year old man!”

“Not anymore, Cor,” Regis replied simply, as if it were a matter of the weather. “The Six have a way of bringing us to our destinies. Whatever they have in store for you, this is part of the plan. Who knows if you’re going to end up with some guy and live out your life from this point on? Maybe you’ll be back to yourself in two days? Just go with the flow, Cor. Stop worrying. The moment you do is the moment you’ll prevent yourself from figuring out what they’re trying to tell you.”

Cor stood still, breathing heavily as he tried to consider what Regis was saying. Inherently the king, his friend, was right. If the Six wanted him to be there like this, then no amount of panic would change that. Feelings were different though. There were plenty of people who said they did horrible things in the name of the Six. How could he tell what he was doing was any different?

“I don’t think the Six can condone this,” Cor said. “If they would then they’d give me a sign and-”

Cor looked at the window pane along the back stairwell. It was a bright sunny day outside, warm as late summer settled in over the city. So then why were there shards of ice growing on the window? Cor watched as the ice grew and it looked like a person drawing a heart on the icy glass took shape.

“That’s it,” Cor said, interrupting Regis’ questions. “I’m losing it. I’ve lost it. I’m hallucinating. This is all crazy. This is-”

“Cor?” Prompto asked, suddenly behind him. Cor turned and looked at Prompto, feeling like he got caught doing something that he shouldn’t have done.

“I have to go,” Cor said to Regis.

“Make good choices in school, honey!” Regis crooned on the other side of the phone in a sweet sing song, loud enough for Prompto to hear but not loud enough for him to recognize it as the king.

“Oh,” Prompto said, his tired eyes wide as he looked at Cor. “I didn’t mean to… Um, the teacher was getting worried. I didn’t realize you were talking to your boyfriend.”

“What?” Cor asked, looking down at the phone. “No, that’s not- I mean, I don’t have a boyfriend. It’s just a friend from Altissia. He knows not to call when it’s busy, so I thought it was an emergency.”

“Dude, it’s okay,” Prompto said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “You don’t have to pretend around me. I’m pansexual.”

“No, I’m not pretending,” Cor insisted. Why did it bother him so much that Prompto thought he had a boyfriend? It wasn’t like he was homophobic. He himself was bisexual. “I don’t have a boyfriend or anything. If you knew who I was talking to… Well…” He shuddered at the thought. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

“Oh,” Prompto replied, blushing bright red in clear embarrassment. “Sorry about that. I just… There’s a lot of people here who hide that type of stuff cause they’re afraid of judgment.”

“I don’t care about that stuff,” Cor said. He walked with Prompto back to class, noticing how he enjoyed the way Prompto’s shoulder brushed against his. He wondered about holding his hand then immediately dismissed it. “Just for the record, I’m bisexual.”

“Cool,” Prompto replied. There was an awkward tension in the silence between them. “Are you dating anyone?”

“No,” Cor said honestly. Why was his heart pounding rapidly? “You?”

“No,” Prompto said. There was another tense silence. There was a question dancing on Prompto’s lips, Cor could practically see it, but he also could tell that there was no way the guy was going to ask it.

They sat back down in their seats once they were in the classroom, and Cor had to blatantly ignore Noctis practically glaring at him. Instead, he paid attention to Prompto, noticing how he looked like he was about to fall asleep several times. Gently, he’d tap his hand whenever it was about to happen, and Prompto would startle awake then try his hardest to pay attention. Eventually, the lunch bell rang, and Prompto let out a big yawn.

“Lunch time, Prom,” Noctis said, sounding far more dour than before. “You going to go to the lunch room first?” 

“Hmm?” Prompto asked, half-asleep. “Nah. I have my protein shake. I’ll meet you guys on the roof, though. I gotta stop by my locker and put this work away.”

“Sure thing,” Noctis replied, his anger receding a bit. As long as he wasn’t hanging out with Cor then it apparently didn’t matter what he did.

“I’ll see you on the roof,” Cor said to them both. He noticed that Lunafreya stayed meticulously out of the conversation. She was smart.

Luckily, the lunchroom was fairly tame, and Cor couldn’t help but notice that it was easily quieter when Prompto wasn’t there. As long as a Niff wasn’t there they were fine. Cor made a mental note to discuss that with Regis. He grabbed some extra things for Prompto, things that he could easily wrap up and slip into his bag without him noticing. If he could help Prompto eat better, then he would.

Up on the roof, he found Noctis talking to both Lunafreya and Prompto. Prompto was struggling to stay awake as he leaned against the railing, and Lunafreya was laughing and joking along with Noctis. Was he that oblivious to his friend’s need for rest? Cor doubted it. He had a feeling that Noctis just wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, but he was going about it the wrong way. It wasn’t that he was being rude. He was just dense.

“Hey,” Cor said as he sat down next to Prompto, ignoring Luna’s offer to sit next to her. “What are we talking about?”

“That one time we all went to Galdin Quay and Noctis spent all day fishing,” Luna said with a smile. “He ended up so sunburnt.”

Cor nodded along, the lunch tray set in front of him, paying attention to Prompto out of his peripherals. He was gradually falling asleep, so Cor leaned back against the fence, giving him a shoulder to lean on. Gently, Prompto nodded off, his head tilting until he was resting against Cor’s shoulder, sleeping peacefully. Cor felt his heart skip several beats. Noctis looked livid.

“What are you doing?” Noctis whispered angrily as Cor wrapped up a few food items and tucked it in Prompto’s bag.

“He’s hungry,” Cor replied, careful not to wake Prompto. “I think it’s part of the reason why he’s so tired.”

“He said he eats,” Noctis tried.

“You believe him? Even though he keeps getting thinner?” Cor asked. “He needs his rest and to eat. If he goes to hang out at your place and falls asleep, let him sleep.”

“I know that,” Noctis retorted. “He’s been my friend since elementary school.”

Cor nodded in understanding. Noctis was just oblivious to the ways others struggled. He couldn’t blame him necessarily. He was raised to be a prince, and Cor knew for a fact that Regis spoiled him. If he wanted to learn about Prompto’s plight, then Prompto would have to be the one to open up to him. Then again, he hadn’t even opened up to Cor. Not really.

They let Prompto sleep, the lunch passing in silence, until lunch ended and the bell rang. Then, Cor gently woke him, noticing how Prompto startled awake like he was anticipating a fight. Instead, he blushed bright red when he noticed that he was sleeping on Cor’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” Prompto said, his voice a bit hoarse from his sleep.

“It’s okay,” Cor replied. He reached over and impulsively moved a strand of hair out of his face. They both blushed at that. “Sorry.”

“It’s… okay,” Prompto echoed back to him. Awkwardly, they got up and made their way back to class, both of them aware of what had transpired between them. There was no denying it. Cor had a crush on Prompto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh Cor having a crisis cause Prompto is too cute to ignore. >o<
> 
> Cor: I'm too old for this!  
> Regis: Not anymoooooooorrrreeee  
> Cor: Fuck you're right.... Fuck I'm hot for Prompto. Fuck I wanna fuck him. Fuck fuck fuck  
> Prompto: ZZZZzzzzzZZzzzzZZzzzz  
> Noctis: *glares hardcore*  
> Luna: They're all idiots
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I'm so glad I got to post this before the New Year ^_^ (at least for me)


	8. Admissions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto goes to Cor's place to do his homework

Prompto couldn’t believe that he fell asleep on Cor’s shoulder. What was he thinking, doing something like that? He might as well have just had told him that he had a crush on him instead. While he was definitely more worn out and exhausted than before, he chalked it up to his need to sleep. After all, he had subsisted on protein shakes for a while now. As long as he was well-rested, then he knew he would be okay.

The idea of going over to do his homework at Cor’s place made his body nearly tremble nervously. He downed the protein shake he had, made his way to the training grounds, and noticed how Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio were there, training as well. With a smile and a wave, Prompto joined the other recruits and began training with Clarus at the helm this time.

Recently Noctis had been acting a bit weird around him, and especially around him and Cor, but he figured it was just his imagination. At least, he hoped that Noctis wouldn’t get suddenly homophobic if he ended up liking a guy. When Prompto had told Noctis that he was pansexual, the prince had been more then receptive. Strangely, Noctis never revealed his sexuality to Prompto, in turn. He supposed it was just a private thing for him. Or maybe princes weren’t allowed to talk about that stuff.

Training went smoother just from the week of pointers from Cor alone. Prompto had a feeling that Cor learned from the Lord Marshal himself or their family happened to be prolific fighters, since he was able to teach him so seamlessly and all without losing his patience. Now, even Clarus could see the obvious improvement, and it was apparent that he was having an easier time of keeping up with the cadets.

After the training session was over, Prompto made his way to the locker rooms to take a quick shower before heading over to Cor’s. His heart was racing in his chest, and he found himself daydreaming about kissing Cor, so by the time he was showered and dressed, he was thoroughly lost within himself. It was entirely his mistake. Prompto knew he had to be on his toes.

On the way out of the Citadel, several of the cadets were making their way out as well, and they flanked him on either side, all of them goading him on. Prompto couldn’t really make out what any individual was saying, just that he was a “no good Niff” and that he “should suck the king’s cock to get ahead instead.”

As he tried to wrench free from their grasp, one of the cadets punched him across the face. It sent him sprawling across the steps of the Citadel, and he fell down several before he was able to catch himself. Aching all over and thoroughly bruised, he thought about how there was no way Cor would want to see him like this.

The cadets laughed at him as they walked past, and Prompto just sat on the steps of the Citadel to gain his bearings. Hesitatingly, Prompto pulled out his phone and dialed Cor’s number. It rang once, then Cor picked up. Prompto had been hoping for it to go to voicemail.

“Hey Cor,” Prompto said awkwardly into the phone. “So I got hurt at training. I need to go home and put some ice on it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cor replied. “There’s tons of that stuff here. Just come on over and I’ll have the first aid kit out.”

Prompto was about to object, but there was a thought in his mind that told him not to. Maybe it was the way Cor told him to come over. Maybe he was just delirious from being punched in the face. “Alright. I’ll be over soon.”

“See you then,” Cor said, his nonchalance almost painful. Prompto got up off the steps, ignoring the people staring at him, and made his way to the complex.

He found himself at the high rise pretty quickly and suddenly felt a surge of inadequacy. Prompto didn’t even have money to afford food, let alone a place to live like this. If the Lord Marshal lived here and his nephew was staying here, then why was he even indulging a poor Niff living in the boroughs? Nervously, Prompto tried to remind himself that Cor didn’t see him as a charity case, and he made his way inside and towards the elevators. 

Security stared at him curiously, but Prompto tried to play it as calm as possible, knowing that they would easily kick him out if they thought he was suspicious. He supposed that he looked suspicious with the bruises blossoming on his face and body, but he had at least showered and changed into standard jeans and a shirt. Then he began to worry that he was too underdressed for the occasion. It was only homework, right?

Prompto stepped off the elevator and found his way to the right door. He knocked and immediately thought about running away before Cor answered. But he was there, opening the door quickly, and Prompto had no escape. He offered a smile to Cor, pretending that he didn’t find him extremely attractive, thinking about how much he looked like his uncle, only younger. Prompto had the thought that if Cor grew up to look like the Lord Marshal then he was very lucky indeed.

“That doesn’t look like getting hurt in training,” Cor said, standing aside so Prompto could step in. He shut the door behind them then walked into the living room where a first aid kit was waiting on a coffee table. Prompto slowly made his way over, staring in awe at the beautiful mansion-like flat. He had never been in a place so beautiful, save for the Citadel itself. “Come on in and sit down. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Sorry,” Prompto said, sitting down on the couch quickly. He knew he was staring at the space, and he flushed red in embarrassment. “This is a really nice place.”

“Yeah,” Cor replied awkwardly. Prompto wondered if he said something wrong. “I guess you kind of get used to these things when you’re surrounded by it a lot. What’s your place like?”

“Not like this,” Prompto laughed nervously. “It’s small, for one. And old.”

“I bet you’ve made it comfortable,” Cor offered as he sat next to Prompto and began to grab different items from the first aid kid, including antiseptic. “Any place with you there will feel like home.”

Prompto’s blush deepened, and he looked down at his hands, surprised that Cor said something like that. Was he flirting with him? No, that was impossible. He was just being kind. There was no way anyone would be interested in a Niff like him. “Thanks, Cor.”

“Uh…” Cor said, his awkwardness evident. Prompto knew it. He was just being kind. Prompto needed to smoothe over the situation and make sure he didn’t regret the offer for help. “Let’s get your wound cleaned up. It’s bleeding a little above your eyebrow. It looks like it’ll bruise, but it doesn’t look like it’ll swell too much.”

“That’s good,” Prompto figured, considering how they had really hit him hard. 

“So what really happened?” Cor asked him. “I’m not going to tell on them or anything. I just want to know.”

“Just the usual,” Prompto reasoned. “I think they’re a bit more bold cause the Lord Marshal is on sabbatical. Hopefully when he comes back it won’t be so bad. It’s nothing I can’t handle though.”

“They shouldn’t be doing this just because he’s not here right now,” Cor said, his frown deepening. Prompto worried he said something wrong.

“It’s alright, dude,” Prompto tried as Cor leaned forward and began to clean the wound. He winced from the pain, but then relaxed his face. “It’s not your fault that he isn’t here right now. You didn’t send him on an assignment or anything.”

“Yeah,” Cor replied noncommittally. He focused on taking care of the wound instead. 

Prompto stayed as still as possible, trying not to pay attention to the way Cor was so close to him, how his lips looked so full and pouting, how his eyes were such a piercing blue that it always felt like he was staring into him, how his lashes were incredibly long… Prompto flushed red when he realized that he was staring, and he pulled himself out of his thoughts. 

“The violet in your eyes is beautiful,” Cor commented as he pulled the antiseptic gauze away, but not himself. Prompto stared at him, trying to keep his heart from beating too loudly. He was sure Cor could hear it.

“Thank you,” Prompto whispered, trying not to glance at Cor’s lips too much. “I didn’t realize your eyelashes are so long.”

Terrified, he gently reached out and touched Cor’s lips impulsively, brushing his fingers along them, then resting them on his cheek. When Cor didn’t pull away, Prompto practically held his breath, waiting to see what would happen. His heart hammered away in his chest as Cor pressed his lips into the palm of his hand, kissing it softly.

Suddenly, Cor pulled away like he remembered something, like this was something that he shouldn’t have done at all. It was almost like he got burned by Prompto, and the blond felt his heart shatter and fall as quickly as it had soared. He looked away and grabbed his things, realizing that he needed to leave. It wasn’t good if Cor rejected him and he still had feelings for him. Space was better.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto said quickly, scrambling as he grabbed his bag and stood up. “I shouldn’t have come. I took advantage. I need to go.”

“Prompto,” Cor said as he walked to the door quickly, feeling the tears in his eyes. “Prompto, wait. Please.”

“It’s okay, Cor,” Prompto said. He pulled on the door handle and realized it was locked. Desperately, he fumbled with the lock, tears clouding his vision. Why wouldn’t his hands just work when they were supposed to? “I get it. I’m Niff and useless and you’re you. I overstepped. It’s fine.”

Prompto managed to unlock the door, but just as he opened it Cor slammed his hand on it next to Prompto’s face, shutting it again. He turned and looked at the teen, realizing just how much taller he was than him. Cor loomed over him, his eyes piercing into him, and Prompto wondered if he had made a grave mistake coming here for an entirely different reason. Was he trying to hurt him because he was Niff? Cor didn’t seem like the type, but then again he didn’t know him like he knew Noctis.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto tried, knowing that if Cor was going to hurt him for trying to do something then he would be helpless to stop it. “I swear it won’t happen again and-”

Cor kissed him suddenly, surprising him so incredibly that it took him a moment to register what was going on. But then when he did, when he fully realized that Cor was pressing his lips against his, he felt like something burst within his heart that should have been barred from him all of his life. It was intense, passionate, like there was a voice within him telling him that he was made to love Cor and always had been.

“I told myself not to do this,” Cor whispered against his lips, his body pressed against Prompto’s. At first, Prompto worried about having Cor’s body, so strong and fit, against his, but then he felt Cor’s arms around him, pulling him closer, and only felt safe and comfortable in his arms. “But fuck it all, I don’t give a shit if I’m damned for this. I want you, Prompto. I can’t get you out of my damn mind, and I don’t want to. I was sent here for a reason, and I have to believe that this was it.”

“I want you too, Cor,” Prompto replied, his heart beating so fast in his chest that he could barely breathe. “I don’t know why I feel so drawn to you, but I want you.”

Cor pressed his lips against Prompto’s again, their tongues caressing with a passion that made Prompto tremble with excitement. He didn’t know what it was about Cor, but there was something within him that made him feel different, more mature, like he knew what he wanted. If he said he wanted him then Prompto believed him. And for once, Prompto thought that maybe, just maybe, he could be allowed to have some good in his life.

“I’m not going to let you go,” Cor whispered as he pressed his forehead against Prompto’s. “If the Astrals sent me here, then I will not ignore the signs.”

“The Astrals?” Prompto asked, looking at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not important,” Cor said, deflecting the question. Prompto thought if it was important enough to mention, then it should have been something worth explaining. But he also figured that he should have been grateful enough that Cor wanted him too. The rest didn’t matter, he supposed. 

“Okay,” Prompto replied, although not exactly convinced or consoled. “You want to be with me, and that’s all that really matters. No one has ever wanted me before.” 

“I find that hard to believe,” Cor mused. “Come on. Stay with me for a while. You have homework you need help with.”

Cor took Prompto’s hand and led him back to the couch, and he suddenly had a thought that the teen sounded a lot like the Lord Marshal. He supposed that Cor would be a lot like his uncle if he was named after him and the family idolized the guy. Who wouldn’t? The Lord Marshal was amazing. If Prompto wasn’t pretty sure that the Lord Marshal thought he was a huge disappointment, he would’ve likely had a crush on his commanding officer.

As much as Prompto wanted to just spend his time curled up on the couch with Cor, he knew he had work to do. So they sat side by side, working on his homework that everyone else had already done. He appreciated Cor’s help, especially as he was quickly realizing that it wasn’t normal for people to not be able to see the blackboard from the back of the room. The question of having his eyes checked bothered him, but he doubted that he could convince his parents to let him go to the optometrist. 

“I think that’s enough for the day,” Cor offered after a few hours of work. Prompto’s eyes were getting tired, his stomach was empty, and he needed to think about getting home and having a protein shake before bed. “I’ll make some dinner for us if you want.”

“It’s okay,” Prompto said quickly, not wanting to put him out. He didn’t want Cor to have to go out of his way to do anything for him. It was enough just to be here with him in a gorgeous flat. The thought of Cor visiting his house nearly made him blush with embarrassment. If Cor was used to stuff like this, there was no way he’d want to be with a pauper like him. 

“Did you even eat anything today?” Cor asked, getting up and making his way to the kitchen that was easily worth more than everything Prompto ever owned in his entire life. “Protein shakes don’t count.”

“Um…” Prompto thought about it. Did he tell the truth? There was no way he could make Cor cook for him, so it was better to just lie and said he ate, right? “Yeah, I had food earlier. And I can always get something to eat when I get home.”

“You’re a terrible liar, you know that, right?” Cor pointed out, making Prompto blush and bow his head in shame. “How about this? We’ll order out a pizza or something.”

Prompto froze. There was no way he could afford that. If he ordered out something now then he would have to skip several meals of protein shakes later on. Could he take that leap and just hope that it was worth it? Or was it better just to decline? He bit his bottom lip then looked up in a panic when Cor started ordering pizza on the phone.

“I’ll pay with card now,” Cor said into the phone. He took out a card from his pocket and read off the numbers. Prompto got up and panicked, trying to tell him to stop, but the deed was done and Cor ended the call with a smile. “They’ll be here in about a half an hour.”

“But, but,” Prompto stammered, trying to get his voice out. “I can’t-”

“I’m paying for it,” Cor said with a smile. “Consider it a date.”

Prompto blushed bright red and covered his face with his hands, dropping down to a crouching position. He was embarrassed, ashamed, and terrified that Cor was going to find him wanting and inadequate. How could he date someone who was so different from him? It was like dating Noctis. There was no way he could ever be adequate for a prince, and Cor was so very much like a prince in comparison to him. 

“Prompto?” Cor asked, his voice nearer than expected. Prompto looked through his fingers just a little, noticing how Cor was crouched down with him. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t afford to pay you back,” Prompto said in a strained voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Prompto,” Cor said as he took Prompto’s hands in his, pulling them away from his face. He looked down and away from Cor, but then his boyfriend gently tilted his face towards him, his finger under his chin. “I don’t care about that. You don’t have to pay me back for a pizza. That’s not how relationships work. We give each other things in different ways.”

“But I can’t give you anything,” Prompto said, embarrassed that he had to admit it. “I’m poor. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“You give me your heart and your love,” Cor explained. “You have a voice that sounds like the sun after a thunderstorm and can play music that makes my heart move in ways I can’t even explain. You give me hope, Prompto. Who cares about money when I can have that?”

“Says a person with money,” Prompto said tearfully. “I won’t ever be able to give you gifts or anything. Not until I get into the Crownsguard. And if I don’t make it then another job.”

“You’ll get into the Crownsguard, Prom,” Cor assured him. “You’re working harder than anyone and you know that Clarus and Titus can see that.”

“I hope you’re right,” Prompto said quietly, wondering why Cor called them by first name. Maybe it was because his uncle was so close to them. “I don’t want to let Noctis down. And I don’t want to let you down.”

Cor gently leaned over and kissed Prompto lightly before taking his hands and standing up, pulling the blond with him. “You can’t possibly let me down. I promise. So let me spoil you a bit in the ways that I can. Okay? It’s not pity or because I have to. I want to.”

“Okay,” Prompto said softly, although he wasn’t exactly certain about it at all. “I’m really bad at accepting things from people.”

“I noticed,” Cor replied with a soft smile. He led Prompto over to the couch and sat down, pulling the blond on top of his lap, his legs draped sideways. “I’m not good with emotions or anything like that, but you make me feel vulnerable. In a good way. I feel like I can let down my walls when I’m with you.”

“I feel the same, Cor,” Prompto said uncertainly. “I… I want to try to be better about it and be more open. Not just with you, but with Noctis too. I’ve been hiding a lot. And I think… if I can tell you things, then maybe I can tell my friends too?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Cor agreed. “I hope you know you can tell me anything, Prompto. I know it might not be right away, but you’re not alone. You never have been. And now you have me.”

Unable to help himself, Prompto leaned forward and kissed Cor, a deep and yearning kiss. He felt Cor’s hands on his back, pulling him into the kiss, his touch achingly comfortable. With their tongues hungry on each other, Prompto wrapped his arms around Cor’s shoulders, sighing into his lips as Cor pulled him closer. He ended up straddling him as they made out, delighting in the way that Cor’s hands gently traced over every inch of his back, like he was trying to memorize the curves of his body. 

Eventually, Prompto felt himself go hard, and he blushed in embarrassment and pulled away. Cor held onto him tightly, though, and he gave him a small smile that reminded Prompto of the Lord Marshal. They really looked a lot alike. Yet Cor was a lot less intimidating than his uncle, someone that Prompto felt like he could really open up to, someone that he was shy to be around but not shy to embrace entirely.

“It’s alright,” Cor assured him. He shifted underneath Prompto. That’s when Prompto felt that he was hard as well, and his cheeks flushed red for an entirely different reason. “Do you want me to let you go?”

Prompto felt his ears burn red, but he shook his head, unable to say the words. Cor reached down and palmed his shaft through his pants, making Prompto bite his lips and hold back a moan. Cor caught his lips again, kissing him as he continued to caress him outside his pants, a soft panting moan escaping Prompto’s lips into the kiss. 

Before they could go any further, there was a knock on the door, and Prompto immediately rolled off of him and onto the couch. Cor got up, both of them fussing with their pants to hide their activity, and made his way to the door. When he opened it, he accepted the pizza, tipped the delivery guy, then closed the door and brought it over to the coffee table. It smelled delicious, and Prompto’s stomach growled angrily.

“Seems like you’re ready to eat,” Cor said with a smile. Prompto blushed. “Have as much as you want. You look like you haven’t eaten in months.”

“I… I haven’t,” Prompto admitted. Cor looked at him in surprise. “I’ve been living off of protein shakes. I’ll get a sandwich every now and then, but overall… it’s just that.”

“Prompto…” Cor said softly, looking at him in concern. Prompto looked away in embarrassment, knowing that Cor was likely to reject him for how poor he was. A poor Niff orphan dating a rich kid related to someone at the Citadel? There was no way. “Do your parents know?”

“Yes,” Prompto replied, clasping his hands together nervously. “Well… I don’t know if they know what I’m eating or not.”

“Oh Prompto,” Cor said. He hugged him tightly, and Prompto felt his concern emanating off of him. “We’ll get you through this. I promise. There are a lot of treatment options out there for people with eating disorders. We can look into them, and I’m sure there are some who are on your insurance.”

Prompto looked at Cor in confusion. It was true that he didn’t want to gain weight and end up like he was in elementary school, but he didn’t consider himself to have an eating disorder. The thought of eating pizza was exciting to him, and he wanted nothing more than to dig into the food. Cor was misunderstanding him, but perhaps the truth would be worse.

“I don’t have medical insurance,” Prompto explained instead. “I won’t have it until I end up in the Crownsguard. And um… I can’t really afford much. I’m on a budget. The less I spend, the better.”

“Can I at least bring you lunch?” Cor offered. “Would you eat it?”

Prompto nodded in consideration. “I’ll eat it. But I don’t want to put you out and make you go out of your way for that.”

“It’s not going out of my way,” Cor explained. “I want to do this for you. I want to see my boyfriend happy and healthy. You are my boyfriend, Prompto. Let me treat you like it.”

Prompto blushed bright red and nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Cor.”

“Of course, my love,” Cor replied. He smiled when Prompto cupped his own face in his hands, too embarrassed by the pet name Cor had given him. “Now, let’s eat. There’s plenty of pizza. You can take the leftovers home with you too.”

Prompto nodded and decided that it was better just to let Cor think that it was all his fault that he didn’t have much to eat. After all, it pretty much was. If he was a better son, a better person, then his parents would give him more. If he wasn’t a Niff orphan bastard, then he would deserve far more than what he had. Deep down, Prompto knew that he didn’t even deserve Cor. He wondered how long it would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Cor are together!!! But also... how long will it last? Stay tuned to see if it's forever >.>
> 
> Thank you all for reading!!!!!!! I love writing this story so much ;--;


	9. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis discovers the truth behind Prompto and Cor's relationship

Noctis didn’t like the thought of Prompto going to Cor’s to study and do his homework, and he hated how Prompto had so readily agreed to it instead of going with him to his place. When he explained it to Ignis, his friend had only told him that it made sense. Noctis hated doing schoolwork, and there was no point when Noctis had tried to get him to believe that he would be willing to help him out with it. As much as he knew that Ignis was right, he still wasn’t happy with any of it.

A big part of it was how he saw the way Cor and Prompto interacted, like they were in their own little world and no one else was there or mattered. It terrified Noctis since he had always thought that was how he and Prompto were, that they had always been there for each other and there were no secrets between them. But the more and more people kept pointing things out, the more Noctis realized that Prompto was keeping a lot from him. 

There were some things that Noctis never knew, and now that he was paying more attention, he was starting to see the way Prompto clearly kept things to himself. He was thin, looking more frail by the day, and was being bullied without Noctis ever knowing. Why didn’t Prompto tell him these things? Why did he feel uncomfortable telling him this stuff when Noctis told him everything? It worried him, and he thought that maybe he was losing Prompto right before his eyes.

That hurt even worse than Noctis cared to admit. He had fallen in love with Prompto pretty early on into their friendship and had hid it in fear of losing him. Now, though, he felt like he was going to lose Prompto, regardless. He didn’t think it was possible, but if Prompto fell in love with Cor then what point would it have made for him to hide his feelings from Prompto? Sure, he was going to be king one day, but Noctis was ready to take that step to be the first openly gay king.

Noctis decided that he had no time to waste anymore. He had to confess to Prompto and tell him the truth. He was nervous to tell Prompto that he had liked him all this time, but he had to tell him something. If not, then he would regret it for the rest of his life. He didn’t want to miss his chance before it was too late.

Standing at the front of the school, he waited for Prompto to show up, hoping that he could catch a moment with him alone before Cor showed up. He ignored the stares of the students around him, knowing that they were constantly trying to get his attention since he was the prince of Lucis.

It annoyed him and was one of the reasons why he adored Prompto. Prompto never asked him to be anything other than himself, never burdened him with expectations for a prince, and just treated him like a normal person. He never asked for anything, even when they went out to enjoy things and Noctis could clearly tell Prompto wanted something but wouldn’t say so. It let him know that Prompto wasn’t friends with him because of money. He just liked who he was.

Pulled out of his thoughts, Noctis saw Prompto walking towards him… with Cor. He told himself it wasn’t a bad thing necessarily, but then he caught something that made his heart nearly stop beating. Cor and Prompto were holding hands. It could have just been something between friends, and he told himself not to get too far ahead of himself. Maybe they were just closer now. Maybe they were just friends. 

“Hey Noctis,” Prompto said with a bright smile as they approached. 

“Hey Prom,” Noctis said, his heart beating painfully in his chest. “How was the homework?”

“Cor really helped me through a lot of it,” Prompto explained, his cheeks flushed red. He turned to Cor, and that was when Noctis saw something that broke his heart. There was a hickey on his neck. “I think I have about half of it done? The rest is just the paper and bigger stuff.”

“We’ll get to that after training,” Cor said with a nod. “I think I’m going to come with you too. Make sure the recruits don’t try and mess with you this time.”

“Yeah, what’s up with the black eye?” Noctis asked, trying to distract himself from how close the two seemed. 

“The recruits essentially bullied him after training,” Cor replied for Prompto. “One of them punched him.”

“What?!” Noctis asked incredulously, looking at Prompto. “Did you tell Gladio’s dad or anything?”

“It was already after training,” Prompto said with that inherent shyness that he got whenever the attention was on him. “I just called Cor and he said he’d treat it.”

“And I’m going this time,” Cor reasserted. “I’m not going to let this keep happening.”

“Just don’t cause more problems for him like you already did,” Noctis accused. He didn’t know if they were dating, but he wasn’t going to let Cor get away with anything.

“What was I supposed to do?” Cor asked him. “Let him get hurt?”

“What’s done is done now,” Prompto interjected diplomatically. Cor and Noctis stopped glaring at each other and looked at the guy they were both in love with. “I just want to get through this year and make it into the Crownsguard so I can be a part of your retinue.”

Noctis smiled at that, feeling like he had somehow won the argument. “And once you’re in the Crownsguard, you’ll be able to be there for everything. And I can look after you too.”

“I’m supposed to protect you,” Prompto teased. “Come on. The bell is going to ring and we’ll be late.”

They made their way into the school, and Noctis noticed how Cor kept a hold of Prompto’s hand. Noctis knew he had to ask about it. If he didn’t, then he knew it would bug him until he did. He needed to know whether or not his heart was going to be broken before he even had a chance to work up the courage to talk to Prompto about how he felt.

“I’m going to stop at the bathroom for a sec,” Cor indicated as he pointed to the restroom. With a nod, Noctis and Prompto carried on their way to the class, an awkward tension filling the space between them that had never been there before.

“So, um… are you and Cor dating?” Noctis asked him, his heart thumping in his chest with that painful ache he hated. “I noticed the hickey.”

Prompto blushed bright red and put his hand up to his neck, knowing exactly what Noctis was talking about. He nodded, and the prince got his confirmation. Forcing a smile, he did his best to hide his heartbreak. “I know it’s kind of soon, but we just connected in a way I haven’t felt before.”

“Really?” Noctis asked, feeling his words like a punch to the gut. “That’s… nice.”

“Thank you for being so supportive,” Prompto said with a smile at him. “I was worried for some reason that you’d be mad.”

“What? Why would I be mad?” Noctis asked, forcing that smile even more. Luckily he had been taught to be a prince, which meant pretending to be happy when he was crying on the inside. “You’re my best friend.”

“I know,” Prompto replied. “I just… there’s some stuff that I have been opening up with Cor on. Stuff I’m afraid to tell other people. But I’m going to work hard on being more open about things.”

“I didn’t realize you were keeping things from me,” Noctis admitted, his heart falling even more. What could Prompto trust Cor with that he couldn’t trust him with? He was just a guy that they met recently. Noctis had known him for years.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto said quietly, looking down at his feet. He looked like he was about to cry. “I don’t want to be a burden to you. I know it’s a big thing for you, and you hate feeling like you’re being taken advantage of. I don’t ever want that for us. I care about being your friend way too much. And I’m scared to lose you.”

“Prom,” Noctis said, taking Prompto’s hand in his as he stopped walking, facing his best friend and the man he was in love with. “I’m sorry you’ve been afraid to tell me things. I’ve been a really bad friend if that’s the case. You don’t have to ever hide anything from me. I know you. You will never take advantage of me or burden me. Please trust me.”

“I do, Noctis,” Prompto said, tears in his eyes. “I… I don’t know how to describe it. I trust you more than I trust myself. And I think that’s why I didn’t tell you. I just don’t trust myself to be the best person I can be for you.”

“Stop trying to be the best person then,” Noctis insisted, reaching forward and wiping his friend’s tears away. “I promise, I like who you are no matter what. I don’t think there’s anything you can do to make me hate you. We’ve known each other for forever. Trust me a bit?”

Prompto threw his arms around Noctis’ shoulders and hugged him tightly, making the prince’s heart ache and beat rapidly all at once. His best friend only saw him as a friend, and even more than that he didn’t even trust him the way that he thought. What was Prompto hiding from him that he was so afraid of telling him? Why could he tell Cor but not him?

“I’m so sorry, Noctis,” Prompto said tearfully as he hugged him. “I never want to hide anything from you. I really want to open up to you. I can’t really tell Cor a lot either, but I’m working on it. For my boyfriend and my best friend. I don’t want to keep you in the dark anymore.”

“It’s okay, Prom,” Noctis said as he hugged him back. It was the furthest from okay, but Noctis realized that Prompto was struggling and needed support right now. He would figure out how to cope with it later. “You’re still my best friend. So just tell me what’s going on.”

Prompto pulled back and wiped his tears away, nodding. “Um… so I guess I should tell you where I live. I haven’t told Cor yet, and I’m really scared to.”

Noctis nodded, although he was secretly a bit gleeful to know that Cor didn’t know this information. Maybe Prompto would trust him over Cor with some things. To Prompto it wasn’t a competition, but for Noctis he couldn’t help but feel jealous. Cor just swooped in and stole the guy he loved from right under him. It was painful to even think about. Noctis had to get whatever triumphs he could take.

“So, I commute from the boroughs every day,” Prompto said softly, almost to the point that he didn’t hear him. The boroughs? He lived in the poor part of the city? “My house is kind of run down. It’s not a place you would ever be allowed to go to, honestly. There’s too much crime nearby.”

Noctis stared at Prompto in shock. He lived in a crime ridden area in Insomnia? Why didn’t he know? He would’ve gotten him out of there and into a room in the Citadel or in his apartment with him, and-... That was why. Maybe Prompto was right for not telling him. Noctis would’ve tried to take him out of there, to save him. Prompto knew that Noctis didn’t want to be used like that, and him volunteering to do something like that was something Prompto would perceive as a burden. He set Prompto up for hiding himself.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t tell me that, Prompto,” Noctis said quietly, holding Prompto’s hands in his once again. “I see why you couldn’t. You know how I feel about things like people taking advantage. Prom, you telling me this doesn’t make me feel burdened or make me feel like you’re trying to take advantage. It hurts me to know that you’ve had to keep this from me because of what I’ve said. I’m sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Prompto insisted. “You’re my best friend. I am so grateful to be in your life in any capacity. You have no idea how much you’ve kept me going when I haven’t felt like getting out of bed. If you weren’t a prince then I swear I would fall in love with you. But we’re best friends, and that is something that I will always cherish.”

Noctis felt a painful stab in his heart. Prompto would have easily fallen in love with him if he wasn’t a prince. If he wasn’t born into a circumstance that was beyond his control, he could have easily dated and potentially spent his life with the guy he loved. But because he was a prince, Prompto didn’t feel like he was good enough. Noctis thought he made it obvious he liked him, but apparently Prompto never saw it. Now it was too late.

“Hey,” Cor said as he approached them, offering a smile. He put his arm around Prompto’s waist and pulled him close, kissing his temple with a decided possessiveness. “Sorry I took forever. Had to make a call back home.”

“How is it in Altissia?” Prompto asked. Noctis had a feeling that Cor actually left to give Prompto the chance to talk to him alone. As much as he hated that Cor was dating Prompto, he was actually a good guy. That made it even worse.

“Fine,” Cor replied. “I don’t know how long they’re expecting me here, but I want to stay as long as I can.”

“That’s good,” Prompto said, a nervous smile on his face. Noctis worried that Cor was going to just get with Prompto, take him for a ride, then break his heart. “I imagine you left behind a life back there.”

“Yeah, but you make it easy to decide to stay,” Cor said. Prompto blushed bright red and beamed at him, leaning forward and kissing Cor lightly on the lips. Noctis had to look away, unable to stare at the guy he loved kissing someone else.

“I’m gonna go into the classroom,” Noctis declared. “The bell should ring soon.”

“Good idea,” Cor agreed, pulling away from Prompto, but only slightly. He held his hand instead as they walked into the class. It frustrated Noctis that he had never seen Prompto so happy before.

When he sat down in his usual seat with Prompto and Cor in front of him, he did everything he could not to notice how they held hands discreetly beneath the desks. Luna was already there, and she looked shocked to see what was happening in front of their eyes. Noctis did everything he could to avoid her gaze.

_ You ok? _ Noctis looked at the note that Luna passed him, her perfect scrawl making him tear up for some reason. He quickly wiped his tears away so that no one saw him crying, least of all Prompto and Cor, and just shook his head. Luna quickly scrawled something on the note again then handed it back to him.  _ We can always hang out privately at lunch to give you a chance to cope? _

Noctis shook his head and replied this time.  _ Prompto told me some stuff. If I just disappeared during lunch, he’d get worried about it. With reason. _ He sighed and considered calling Ignis and Gladio to come and pick him up. Did he really want to sit through an entire day of watching Prompto and Cor being happy together? Then again, it was something he would have to get used to very quickly.

Sighing, he resigned himself to putting his head down on the desk, using his arms around him as a buffer to hide his tears as they silently fell. It wouldn’t be strange to see him like this since he slept a lot in class anyway and naturally did well in school. That led him to think about how Prompto’s life was likely far more of a struggle than his. If Cor gave him the attention, gave him the space to talk, gave him the space to not feel like he’d be a burden, then of course he fell for him so quickly.  _ He’s not a prince either. Fuck. Why couldn’t I just be born into a normal family? _

Noctis kept his head down until the lunch bell rang, signaling that he would now have to deal with Prompto and Cor at lunch as a couple. Maybe he should have taken Luna up on her offer. She would easily take him somewhere else to vent and cry. Noctis knew that he couldn’t do that to Prompto, though. He put him in a terrible situation to not be able to talk to him about so much. The least he could do was be supportive of his relationship, even if it killed him to do it.

Painfully, Noctis resigned himself to get up and make his way up to the roof with Luna, Prompto, and Cor. He was surprised that they weren’t going to the lunchroom this time, but he supposed that things had changed now that they were dating. They sat down on the roof, Prompto sitting between Cor and Noctis. Luna sat next to Noctis and Cor.

Taking out his own lunch, Noctis began to eat as he watched Cor taking out a carefully prepared lunch. There was tons of food there, and Noctis watched as Cor handed Prompto utensils to eat with. Noctis felt a stab of pain go to his heart. Prompto was sharing lunches with Cor as well?

“You two are sharing a lunch?” Luna asked on Noctis’ behalf without indicating anything of the sort.

Cor looked at Prompto, who nodded. “Prompto hasn’t really been eating lately. So I offered to make lunches for us to share so he could at least have that.”

Noctis looked at Prompto. Was that something else he had been hiding from him? Now that he thought about it, it was so obvious that Prompto wasn’t eating. He was getting thinner, and he hadn’t seen Prompto with food on hand in a while. And he couldn’t say anything about it either because Prompto would’ve worried about burdening him. All because he was stupid enough to tell someone who needed genuine help that he didn’t want to be used.

Just how bad of a friend had he been all this time? Was the Prompto that he was even presenting the real Prompto, or was he someone else entirely? He felt like in less than a day he had learned that everything he knew about his best friend was a lie. It hurt his heart, broke his spirit, and he thought about telling Prompto that he didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. 

But he couldn’t do that. Noctis loved Prompto still. He loved him so fiercely that he would forgive him for just about anything. And worst yet, he understood why Prompto kept these parts of himself hidden away. Instead, Noctis resolved that he would learn everything he could about Prompto and be the best friend that he could to him. He would work hard to be the best friend he could be to Prompto, and it would be enough.

It had to be enough. There was no other choice. After all, what else was he going to do? Ignore him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Noctis ;--; He loves Prompto so much but really is in a bad spot. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading! I think I'm getting near to finishing the story. I realized I could have really written this more and more but I want to make sure the story is complete and well rounded instead of drawn out for the sake of drawing it out. We'll have at least 5-6 more chapters to go though ^_^


	10. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor invites Prompto over
> 
> TW: Mention of eating disorder, mention of physical, financial, and emotional abuse

_ The darkness was all consuming as Cor walked through the void, seemingly wandering aimlessly. Yet he wasn’t afraid. Eventually someone would come for him, he knew. It would be a matter of time, but they would come. For now he had to keep walking. _

_ A light grew in the darkness, a beautiful blue hue that was both welcoming and somewhat intimidating. Cor walked towards it and saw it bouncing up and down until the creature came into view. It wasn’t quite a fox, nor was it a cat, but the blue creature looked at him with knowing eyes and wisdom that somehow transcended speech.  _

_ It walked away and Cor followed it. He wasn’t sure how long they were walking, but they came upon a small child crying in a man’s arms. No, not a man. His arms. It was himself, cradling a small child with dark hair and eyes like Regis’. Noctis, but a child. The animal danced around it, crying out in concern.  _

_ “What’s wrong with him?” Cor asked, although he never opened his mouth. His older self looked at him, glared at him with hostile intent. _

_ “You happened,” he replied, a growl in his voice. “You took him away, and now he will suffer. I hope you’re happy. You got what you wanted. But at what cost?” _

_ “I didn’t mean to,” Cor tried. It was too late. He was falling through the void, and no matter how much he tried to reach out to them, they drifted away. _

Cor opened his eyes, waking up to the sound of his alarm going off. It was Saturday, but he had promised to have Prompto come by to do the rest of his homework with him. While the furthest thing on his mind was school, his heart picked up several beats when he thought about Prompto coming over to his place.

It shouldn’t have been like that. Cor should have stopped himself from caving. But he couldn’t help it. There was something about Prompto that just drew him into his orbit, enticing him and begging him to just capture his lips in his. He knew it was hurting Noctis, and every time he thought about it, Cor felt guilty. Yet he still couldn’t stay away. He was sure the Six Astrals brought him here for Prompto. 

The dream that he had was terrifying, but Cor couldn’t remember the exact details. He felt like they were fading from the peripherals of his vision, like he should have remembered it entirely. Yet it was gone in an instant, and the more he tried to grasp at it, the more it drifted away. When his phone went off, it disappeared entirely.

_ [Prompto:] You up? I can come over whenever so just let me know! _

Cor smiled, despite himself. It was beautiful to see that, despite it being late morning, Prompto was already up and thinking about him. He had never had a lover so interested in being with him before, and it was in these moments that Cor couldn’t remember anything but how Prompto’s smile lit up his life. Nothing else mattered but Prompto’s happiness, and he thought about what it would be like to just embrace Prompto through the night.

_ [Cor:] I’m up. Come on over whenever you want. I’ll make us breakfast. Do you prefer coffee or tea?  
_ __ [Prompto:] Coffee is my life! Lol Ok maybe not. I’m not Ignis. XD But coffee please!  
_ [Cor:] Sounds great. I will see you soon, my love.  
_ __ [Prompto:] =^o^= Cya!

A thrill went through Cor at the thought of having Prompto all to himself today. He got dressed and ready, pulling on black jeans and a black shirt. He had a limited wardrobe for his teenage body, but what he did have was decent enough. Cor considered going shopping with Prompto and just purchasing things that Prompto enjoyed without telling him until they got back. He put that idea in the back of his mind.

Once he made his way to the kitchen, he got a pot of coffee going and then got started on breakfast. Before he put anything on the stove, he thought about how the security for the complex may not be kind towards Prompto this time. To avoid it, he called down to the front desk and let them know he was going to be visiting. Luckily, they accepted it without any qualms. 

Getting started on breakfast, Cor made sure the door was unlocked for Prompto and texted him to just walk in. Prompto confirmed in a way that made Cor smile yet again, and he couldn’t help but think about how Prompto managed to stay positive and happy despite everything going on. There was still so much that Cor didn’t know, yet Prompto was still smiling. How did he do it?

There was a knock on the door, and Cor called for him to come inside. Prompto called out to him as he stepped through the threshold, closing the door behind him and taking off his shoes. He set his backpack down in the living room where they would work then made his way over to the kitchen just as Cor was finishing up.

“Hello love,” Cor said as Prompto approached him. He was getting two plates together, making sure there was plenty of eggs, bacon, and toast for them both. He turned to Prompto and smiled, kissing him on the forehead and handing him a plate of food. “How was the commute?”

“Not bad,” Prompto replied, his cheeks flushed red from the kiss and term of endearment. Cor loved how his emotions were so easy to read. He took the plate of food and followed Cor to the kitchen table. They sat down, side by side, and began to eat. Cor wondered if Prompto really had an eating disorder. He ate everything Cor gave him, and there was no evidence of him purging his food.

“You’re eating well,” Cor pointed out. Prompto paused and nodded, his ears flushing red. “You don’t have an eating disorder, do you?”

Prompto looked down at the food, then back at Cor. Slowly, he shook his head. “No. I’m always hungry. I don’t want to gain weight, but with how much I work out it’s not an issue.”

“Why did you let me believe that you do then?” Cor asked. Prompto set down his fork and bowed his head, looking at his hands in his lap. He always did that when he thought someone was going to get mad at him. Did his parents hurt him when they were mad?

“It’s easier for me to be the one at fault,” Prompto said quietly. 

“Do your parents not give you enough money for food?” Cor asked him pointedly.

“They give me money,” Prompto explained. He didn’t elaborate though.

“How much?” Cor asked. “They’re never there right?”

“They send it to my bank account,” Prompto said. He pulled out his phone and brought something up. It was his account information. “Um… This is what they deposit every month.”

Cor looked at it, his eyes going wide in shock. Anger coursed through him, and he clenched his free fist in anger. He was speechless for a moment, trying to gain his bearings as he handed the phone back to Prompto. Prompto looked worried, scared, and he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

“Um…” Prompto said, breaking the silence. “They said they give me the money I need to survive. It’s not like I need a lot to get by.”

“Prompto, that is  _ not _ enough for you to live off of,” Cor insisted, his tone gruff and angry. Prompto shrank back. “And what about clothes? School supplies? Just basic necessities like toilet paper?”

“I make it work.” Prompto shrugged timidly. “Um… A lot of clothes I’ve gotten second hand and found in the trash and stuff. Easy stuff that just needs to be patched up. There have been times that they’ve bought me clothes, like my uniform is second hand and they bought it, and they just take it from my monthly budget until it’s paid off. I’ll have my new uniform paid off by the time I graduate.

“With school supplies… Well it’s easy to find stuff that people at school toss cause it’s not their favorite color or it just needs to be fixed. A lot of my notebooks are just scrap pieces of paper glued into an old cover. I’m… I’m not happy to admit this, but.. And please don’t tell your uncle… I’ve stolen toilet paper from the school and the Citadel.”

Cor was astounded. Prompto was doing everything he could just to survive. How could they expect him to thrive when he was fighting bullies, racists, and such intense poverty that he couldn’t even eat? He was more than just worried for Prompto. He was horrified by what was going on. 

“How could anyone treat their own child like that?” Cor asked, unable to find a way to otherwise voice his anger and hatred towards Prompto’s parents.

“W-Well,” Prompto said, his voice getting quieter. “I don’t really deserve much. And it’s not like I’m actually their kid.”

“What do you mean by that?” Cor asked. Did they kidnap him or something?

“I’m adopted,” Prompto explained. “I’m just an orphan Niff bastard that doesn’t really deserve anything. I mean, they’ve been leaving me alone since I was five for them to go and travel for work. I’m sure they are giving me all they can.”

Cor felt sick to his stomach. Did Prompto really not know about the orphan stimulus stipend? It was certainly more than what Prompto was receiving. Much more. The king had signed that bill into law when the influx of orphans struggling due to class differences made it impossible for them to do anything in life. Prompto should have been receiving that money into his account directly from the moment he was adopted. His parents should have used it for his needs, and they should not have had access to it the moment he reached high school.

“I’ll be right back,” Cor said as he got up. “Just give me a couple minutes.”

Cor walked into his bedroom, closing the door and immediately calling Regis’ phone number. This was something that needed to be rectified. Prompto was being severely abused. It was a miracle that he was even alive right now. How did Noctis not know about any of this? He should have been able to see some of the signs. Was he just willfully ignorant of everything that Prompto was going through?

“Hello Cor,” Regis said into the phone. “Did you decide that you absolutely can’t help but love being a teenager again-”

“This is important, Regis,” Cor said. “Prompto’s parents are abusing him.”

“Call the police, Cor,” Regis said. “I’m a king, I don’t handle those things.”

“No you don’t understand,” Cor snapped. He took a deep breath and explained everything quickly, trying to take up as little time as possible. “He’s a cadet with the Crownsguard. We need to investigate this.”

Regis was silent for a while, clearly considering what had been said. “Very well. I will tell Titus about this and have him update me regularly. Why are you so adamant about this? This goes beyond just your sense of justice and watching after your recruits.”

“I love him,” Cor said softly. “I don’t know if I’ll want to go back. He needs me, Reggie. I can’t just let him suffer on his own.”

“He has friends, Cor,” Regis pointed out. “My son is his best friend.”

“Your son doesn’t know anything that’s going on,” Cor replied. “Prompto’s only told me. I just… I don’t know if I’ll be given a choice, but I need time.”

“You are in control of it, Cor,” Regis said with a sigh. “The crystal necklace, remember? I suspect that by the time you wish something for Prompto, you’ll know what you want. And you’ll either stay the way you are or go back to how you were. Just… please promise me that you will make sure that this is absolutely what you want. It hasn’t been that long. Take your time deciding.”

“I will,” Cor said. “If… If we can make sure that Prompto is well cared for and this gets resolved, I’ll do what I have to do to make sure he’s happy.”

“I understand.” They ended the call, and when Cor left the room, he panicked. Prompto was gone. Frantically, he looked for any notes or anything. There were none.

Cor pulled on his shoes quickly, grabbed his keys, and bolted out of the door. He called Prompto, hoping that he hadn’t gotten far. Of course he would run. Why wouldn’t he? He was fragile, his heart like glass that could shatter at any moment. It hurt his heart to think that Prompto had been so abused that he truly believed that he didn’t deserve basic necessities that others got.

“Hello?” Prompto answered on the phone as Cor took the stairwell down, running and skipping several steps as he went. 

“Where are you?” Cor asked, trying to pace himself so he could talk but also go as quickly as possible.

“I-I’m sorry,” Prompto cried into the phone. “I knew it was too much for anyone to handle. I should’ve kept it to myself. I knew it was too much. I’m on my way home. I get that you don’t want to deal with me anymore.”

“What?” Cor asked, picking up his pace. “That’s the furthest from the truth. Prom, I’m worried about you. I needed a second to collect myself before I got too angry at your parents.”

“Please, Cor,” Prompto sobbed into the phone. It sounded like he stopped walking. “I don’t need you to lie. I get it. I’ve never deserved anything in my life before. Why should I start deserving someone as wonderful as you? Please don’t tell Noctis. I don’t think I could handle both of you rejecting me like this.”

“Prompto,” Cor said desperately into the phone. “Please tell me where you are. Let me come to you. Please. Where are you?”

“I’m sitting outside the train station,” Prompto said softly. “My train doesn’t come for another hour.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Cor promised him. The train station was close. He would be there in just a few minutes. “Please wait for me.”

“Okay,” Prompto whispered. They ended the call and Cor took off, not hesitating anymore just to talk to Prompto on the phone. He ran, going as fast as possible, until his lungs were bursting and his body ached. 

It was no time at all that he was at the train station, looking around frantically for Prompto. That’s when he spotted a group of men standing around something, or someone, laughing and shouting amongst themselves. Cor had a pretty decent idea of what they were doing, and he charged towards them, angry and ready to punch them all. 

“What the fuck is your problem?!” Cor shouted as he pushed them away from Prompto, who was sitting on the ground, covered in what looked like soda, his head tucked down with his hands covering it. “He’s a fucking high schooler and you are grown men! Grow the fuck up!”

“What’s a brat like you going to do about it?” one of the men asked. Cor glared at him, the best glare he could muster as the Lord Marshal and not as Cor the Teenager. He must have seen something in him, something that was who he was as a grown man. The man pushed him away, but ultimately he called his men and walked away from them both.

“Prompto, are you okay?” Cor asked as he knelt down, looking at his boyfriend and hoping that he would at least talk to him. Prompto picked his head up and looked at Cor tearfully. The pained expression that Cor gave him in return paled in comparison to the heartache that he felt. Gently, he reached for Prompto’s arms and helped him up.

“Why are you here?” Prompto asked, his voice hoarse from crying. Cor ignored the stickiness on Prompto’s skin from the men bullying him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“Because I love you,” Cor replied. “Come back to my place? We’ll get you cleaned up and then we’ll talk, okay?”

Prompto nodded, but he didn’t say anything else. Cor just hoped that he would listen to him and believe him. He loved Prompto so fiercely, and nothing would stop him from that. Nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i'm late posting this! I've been working hard on some fandom related stuff that hopefully others will enjoy once it's up!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this! <3


	11. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor and Prompto talk

Prompto sat on the couch, his hands in his lap, trying to keep his calmness about him. He kept his expression trained on his hands, too scared to look at Cor. The truth was out there, exposed for him to see. There was no way Cor would want to be with someone so fucked up. It hurt to think that he lost his boyfriend the moment he got him, but then again, Prompto knew it was only a matter of time. Better sooner rather than later.

Sticky, cold, and ready to just be done, Prompto wondered why he even went back to Cor’s place with him. And now that he was beginning to see much more of how Cor was just like his uncle. The resemblance was uncanny, if anything. He was beginning to think that Cor was likely his son instead of his nephew. There were times when they felt like the exact same person, just ages apart. And it weirded Prompto out how much he found that attractive. After all, the Lord Marshal was someone worth idolizing and having a crush on.

“I’ll get a shower running for you,” Cor said. There was a moment of hesitation from him. Prompto could tell by the way his feet didn’t move. “Prompto, I love you. I called… I called my uncle. He’s okay with you staying here if you want until you graduate high school.”

Prompto looked up at him in surprise. “That’s… I can’t do that. I appreciate the offer.”

“Maybe just a couple nights a week?” Cor suggested. “Listen, it’s going to get cold in the winter soon. Just consider it. Cor is also going to try and get you on the Citadel insurance too so you can see a doctor and all that.”

“I still can’t afford it,” Prompto tried, looking at him pleadingly. He didn’t like the special attention. It wasn’t something he deserved.

“He said if you want to be healthy enough to protect Noctis then you have to go,” Cor explained. “And that the crown will take care of the price. It’s considered a point of national security for Noctis at this point.”

“Oh,” Prompto said. It wasn’t even a matter of his health and wellness. The Lord Marshal didn’t give a shit about him. It was entirely about Noctis. Noctis was always more important. “Y-Yeah. I guess that makes sense then.”

“I don’t care what he calls it,” Cor asserted. “If it helps you in any capacity, I’m fine with it. I care about you too much to just let you suffer.”

“I’m fine,” Prompto tried, but he knew that he wasn’t fooling Cor. Pausing, he bit his bottom lip and looked back down. “So does this mean you want to date me still?”

“I would be a really shitty person if I broke up with you over you struggling with something,” Cor explained. Prompto looked up at him. “And I love you, Prompto. That’s not going to change anytime soon. I hope it never does.”

“Me too,” Prompto replied, his brow and eyes contorted in an expression of pleading and pain. The thought of leaving Cor was too much. He was already devastated at the thought of leaving him before.

“Good,” Cor said, sighing with a smile of relief. “I’ll go start the shower and get it warm for you.”

“Thank you,” Prompto said softly as Cor walked away. Sitting there in silence, Prompto thought about… Noctis. He missed him. It had been a while since they had a chance to relax together. Quickly, he took out his phone and texted Noctis, not expecting much of a response. Luckily, he was wrong. Or, rather, unluckily.

_ [Prompto:] Hey Noct. How are you? It’s been forever since we hung out. My homework will be caught up soon. Wanna chill?  
_ __ [Noctis:] Hey! I’m ok. Busy with royalty stuff. I can’t hang out. Sorry.  
_ [Prompto:] Oh ok! No prob! I hope it goes well. Let me know when you can. I miss you.  
_ __ [Noctis:] Sure. 

Prompto frowned when he looked at the texts. Noctis was usually so much more communicative than that, even when he was busy with the crown. Was he upset about something? Did he do something wrong to piss off the prince? Was he upset that Cor was helping him with his homework? That couldn’t be it. Noctis hated homework.

“Ready?” Cor asked, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up quickly, pulling himself out of his reverie. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said, setting his phone on the coffee table and setting aside his worry about Noctis right now. It hurt to think that Noctis could possibly be upset with him, but he would talk to him on Monday about it. Prompto would do anything possible to help and make it up to him. He cared about him more than words could say.

Getting up, Prompto followed Cor to the bathroom in his bedroom, amazed at how it was bigger than his entire bedroom. It was tiled with black marble, had a shower with a glass door, a huge bathtub, and even immaculately designed sinks and a toilet. Everything there was gorgeous, and the hot water was already steaming up the mirror running along the wall over the sink.

“Oh shit,” Cor said behind him, making Prompto turn around in confusion and fear. “I forgot clean towels for you. I’ll be right back. You can get into the shower if you want. I won’t look.”

“Okay,” Prompto said, blushing bright red as Cor left quickly. He undressed and got in the shower, immediately sighing in relief as the hot water ran over him. The water pressure was amazing, better than his house, and he closed his eyes. Blocking everything around him, Prompto just reveled in the feel of the hot water on his skin, his muscles relaxing and letting go of the tension. He didn’t hear the door to the bathroom open and close.

“Prompto?” Cor called out, startling him out of his reverie. He nearly jumped then slipped on the wet floor beneath him, causing him to lose his balance. With a yelp, he fell on the ground, hitting his tailbone with a thump. “Prompto?!”

Cor opened the door to the shower to find Prompto on the ground, laughing hysterically. He couldn’t help it. It was so ridiculous, just adding to the tragedy that was his life, that he found it impossible not to laugh. Even the pain wasn’t that bad, which made it all the more humorous to him. And it was the first time Cor was seeing him naked. Of course.

“Prompto?” Cor asked, his expression turning from concerned to perplexed.

“Sorry,” Prompto said, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s just funny. It happens to me all the time. I’m so clumsy.”

“You’re so agile and graceful during training,” Cor said, exhaling a sigh that turned into a laugh. “How can you be so clumsy otherwise?”

“I have no clue,” Prompto laughed. “If you figure it out, let me know.”

“Well, let me help you up,” Cor offered. He held out his hands and Prompto accepted them, pulled to his feet as the water cascaded around him.

“Your clothes are getting wet,” Prompto noticed aloud, suddenly becoming more aware of how his boyfriend was looking at his naked body. It didn’t upset him, though. If anything, it made his heart beat faster for an entirely different reason. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with desire, soft as the water around him. “You’re going to have to change.”

“Yeah,” Cor replied, his voice much the same. Prompto saw Cor’s eyes drift over his body, down to his hips and back. “I should… really do that…”

Prompto couldn’t refrain any longer. He leaned forward and kissed Cor lightly on the lips, not wanting to press further without his consent. When he pulled away and looked at his boyfriend, he thought for a moment that Cor was just going to push him away. But then Cor was fervently kissing him, their passion on display for them both.

Cor pressed his body against Prompto’s, prompting him to tug at his boyfriend’s shirt and help him out of it. It wasn’t long until Cor was naked as well, and they were both in the shower together, the door closed. Prompto kept his arms around Cor’s neck, holding him close as their tongues were hungry for each other. Cor’s hands were on his back, tracing every ounce of him over and over. His hands trailed down to his ass and gripped it tightly, making Prompto moan softly into the kiss.

A gasp escaped Prompto’s lips as Cor kissed his neck, and he tilted his head back to give him a better vantage point. Cor was hungry for him, so hungry it made him tremble excitedly. They were both hard now, their cocks rubbing together as Cor kissed down to his chest and began to lick his nipple while pinching the other, sending a shock of pleasure down to his cock.

“Cor,” Prompto moaned, grinding his hips against his boyfriend’s, precum dripping from both of their cocks. “Ahh…”

Cor continued, but he reached for something that Prompto was vaguely aware of. It was lubricant, and Prompto thought somewhere in the back of his mind that it was interesting that Cor had lubricant in the shower. He didn’t care. All that mattered was that Cor was lubricating his fingers then reaching down to Prompto’s ass.

“Ahhnn,” Prompto moaned as Cor inserted a finger into his ass. His hips pitched immediately, and he rested his head against Cor’s chest as he clutched his upper arms, gasping and moaning as he worked a finger in deeper until he added another and began to stretch him. “Cor… Ahhh!”

Cor pressed deeper until he hit Prompto’s prostate, making him cry out from the pleasure of it. His hips spasmed as Cor continued to stretch him, hitting his prostate every so often. When he was prepared, Cor pulled his fingers out of him and brought Prompto’s lips up to his to kiss. Overwhelmed by the pleasure of it all, Prompto feverishly kissed him, his desire taking over above all else.

“Let me know if it hurts,” Cor advised him as he coated his cock in lubricant. “I’ll stop if it does. Promise me you will?”

Prompto nodded, although he didn’t think it was necessary. He had practiced enough on his own and even managed to save up for a sex toy eventually. “I promise.”

Cor was gentle at first, positioning his cock outside Prompto’s entrance as Prompto kept his leg hooked around Cor’s waist. He buried his face into the crook of Cor’s neck, clutching onto him as he felt Cor’s cock enter him. Gasping and moaning, he felt the thick girth within him, making him moan as Cor pressed deeper and deeper until he was up to the hilt.

“Are you okay?” Cor asked him. 

“Yes,” Prompto moaned, his hips twitching ever so slightly, a begging movement to have Cor move in him. 

Cor felt it. He started to move, the pleasure wracking through Prompto’s body, making him moan in delight, his body craving more and more each time. He moaned into Cor’s neck, kissing him and biting lightly as he moved his hips in tandem to Cor’s thrusts. Cor let out a wild moan that sounded like a growl, and Prompto continued to nip his neck. It made his lover go even more wild with pleasure. 

“More,” Prompto gasped, wanting Cor to go harder and deeper. “Please Cor… More.”

More than obliging, Cor grabbed Prompto’s legs and wrapped them both around his waist, lifting him into the air. He pressed Prompto roughly against the wall of the shower, the cold tile against his back sparking a fire within him. Prompto gained his balance quickly by pressing his hand against the door, leaving a handprint when he pulled it away and gripped Cor’s face with both hands, kissing him fervently.

Cor thrust into him, slow and deliberate but hard in each thrust. Prompto moaned, his voice climbing in pitch as Cor thrust harder each time. The pleasure was building to something so sublime that Prompto felt himself getting lost within Cor’s arms. He gripped Cor’s shoulders tightly, calling out Cor’s name with each thrust. It was so fantastic, so divine, that Prompto couldn’t get enough. 

“Prom…” Cor moaned, sending his desire spiraling into ecstasy. “I’m going to lose it.”

“Please,” Prompto begged him, trying to move his hips in eager anticipation. Cor had him pinned, though. “Do it. I want it. I want you. All of you.”

Cor obliged. He gripped Prompto’s hips tightly and thrust hard and fast. Prompto cried out in utter bliss, feeling Cor’s cock hit his prostate over and over again. It overwhelmed him, and he felt a strong sensation growing within him. It was all too much, and Prompto knew he was close to climax.

“Cor…” Prompto moaned, his voice practically getting caught in his throat. His moans turned to high pitch whimpers, the pleasure all encompassing, and he arched his back as he pressed a hand against the door and another against the title next to him, trying to find purchase as he drowned in bliss. “I’m cumming….”

“Fuck, do it,” Cor begged. Prompto climaxed with a cry, his vision going white with ecstasy as his seed spilled out onto Cor’s chest, mingling with the water cascading around him.

His hips twitched and spasmed from the pleasure, his body clenching around Cor’s cock. Cor thrust hard in response, crying out as he came in Prompto, his thrusts coming to a halt. Panting, Cor pressed his forehead against Prompto’s collarbone, breathing hard as he held onto him. It was as if he was holding something in, something he wasn’t telling Prompto, but his love was something he refused to hold back.

“Prompto…” Cor breathed, looking up at him with a torn expression. Prompto wondered if he was regretting being with him. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Cor,” Prompto replied, knowing in his heart that it was true. He gently pressed his palms against Cor’s cheeks and kissed him deeply yet lightly. “There is only you.”

“I know,” Cor nearly whispered. “I’m not going to let you go, Prom. You are so beautiful. You deserve the world.”

They continued to kiss each other for a while longer until it was time to clean up. Prompto was more than a bit wobbly, but Cor helped him wash up. They got dressed and made their way out to the couch, Prompto’s homework forgotten for the next day. Instead, Prompto curled up and laid his head on Cor’s chest, delighting in the way Cor’s arm felt so natural around his body, his hand tracing his chest casually. Cor laid a blanket over Prompto, immediately lulling him into a sense of security he never felt before.

“Will you stay the night?” Cor asked him, his voice calming, telling Prompto that if he declined then Cor would respect it. But Prompto didn’t want to decline.

He looked up at Cor with a soft smile. “Yes. Besides, I still have homework to do.”

“We’ll do it tomorrow,” Cor promised him. He kissed Prompto, pulling him up and into his arms. Cor wrapped his arms around Prompto’s torso, keeping him close as they kissed. Everything else was forgotten once more, and they lost themselves to pleasure again, as they would many times that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friend of mine told me that they are reading this fic, and I think they're one of the few friends who opted to read it cause most aren't into rare pairs. So I'm dedicating this chapter to them as a thank you for reading it and making my night last night. <3
> 
> I thank you all for reading this as this is a fic that I really love writing. I'm almost done writing it. I have another chapter or so to write. Perhaps another chapter and an epilogue but we'll see how it goes!
> 
> Thank you all!


	12. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis loses control... or perhaps he never had it in the first place

Noctis was intentionally avoiding Prompto. He just couldn’t see him outside of school right now. It was one thing for him to have to see Prompto and Cor at school, acting like a perfect couple at all times of the day. It was another that he had to deal with it outside of school. At this point, he was even considering dropping Prompto from the retinue. Ignis and Gladio both scolded him for it and told him that it was unfair of him to do something like that. Of course Noctis knew he was being petulant. It didn’t mean he wasn’t tempted.

A large part of Noctis felt really guilty for it too. He kept getting texts from Prompto for a week or so, asking how he was and if he wanted to hang out with him. Noctis didn’t even bother to respond anymore. So now Prompto was just sending him a daily text that he hoped he was well. He didn’t talk to Prompto at school, and he didn’t sit with him at lunch anymore. They would sit on the other side of the roof, and Noctis would hear Prompto playing his guitar and singing for Cor like he used to do for him. 

Several times, Lunafreya tried to get Noctis to talk to Prompto. She told him that Prompto was distraught, upset that Noctis just suddenly stopped talking to him. Noctis told her that he just needed the space. The space was necessary for him to sort out his feelings, to get over the fact that he just lost the love of his life. Was he handling it well? Definitely not. He just knew that if he kept Prompto around then he’d take it out on him even more than just ignoring him.

It had been two weeks since he last saw Prompto, and Noctis thought that maybe things would just end now. Maybe Prompto would give up and stop talking to him altogether. Then they could just go on with their lives, and Noctis would regret everything he ever did and miss Prompto forever. He would never stop pining after him, and being around him was just even worse.

They would pass by each other on the training grounds, and Prompto would offer a wave, his expression pained but hopeful every time. Noctis hated that look. He hated it because each and every time his heart would break, knowing that he was causing Prompto pain. But he would force himself to pass on by without saying anything, without so much as indicating that Prompto existed. It was as if something compelled him to do what his heart told him not to.

“Hey,” Cor called for him after school one day. Noctis tried to avoid him, but Cor was faster than he expected. He caught up to him easily, cornering Noctis before he could make it outside. “What’s going on with you? Prompto’s been trying to get in touch with you for two weeks now.”

“I’m allowed not to talk to him if I don’t want to, you know,” Noctis said, folding his arms across his chest. “It’s not like I owe him anything.”

“Yeah, the one guy who has been by your side through everything for no other reason than he wants to be your friend isn’t enough of a reason,” Cor snapped. Noctis looked at him guiltily, his angry facade fading a bit. “Listen, I get it. I get that you’re in love with Prompto and he’s with me, and now you’re trying to deal with it all. I  _ get it. _ What I don’t get is that the moment he opens up to you, you cut him off.”

“As you so  _ kindly _ pointed out,” Noctis interjected. “I’m coping with some shit right now. Being around him will only make it worse. I don’t want to take it out on him.”

Cor let out a scoffing laugh, sounding both bitter and angry. “You know what? Maybe you don’t deserve him. The worst part is that Prompto blames himself. You know what he told me? He said that it’s because he told you the truth about some of the stuff he’s dealing with. It’s not even half of it, and he’s convinced that you are rejecting him because of it. ‘He’s a prince, Cor. Why would he give an orphan Niff bastard like me the time of day? He sees I’m just really a burden. Of course he doesn’t want anything to do with me.’ You’re acting like a complete dick, and he still blames himself.”

“Well maybe he should’ve told me sooner,” Noctis considered, although his heart was wavering at the thought. Why would Prompto blame himself? It was Noct’s doing, not his. He was the one who couldn’t handle their relationship.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ blame him,” Cor snapped, his voice low and menacing, sounding more like the Lord Marshal in that moment. “Don’t you dare. You have no idea what he’s going through, and if this is how you react to him having a boyfriend, then maybe he’s better off without a friend like you. You have no idea what he’s going through, and that’s on you. I hope you’re happy.” 

“You have no idea what I’m going through,” Noctis said weakly as Cor walked away. Tears came to his eyes as he thought about what Cor had said. Prompto blamed himself for this. Noctis thought about how selfish he was being, and he knew that there was shit going on in Prompto’s life that he was unaware of. Adding this onto it was only going to make it worse, he knew. Then why couldn’t he just stop making these horrible decisions?

Wiping his tears away quickly, Noctis left the school and found Ignis and Gladio waiting for him as always. They tried to ask what was going on, but Noctis refused to speak, preferring to just get into the Regalia in an uncomfortable silence. They took him home so he could change into his sweats to train, grabbed a snack, then made his way in the Regalia to the Citadel. It was another day of training.

Noctis was lucky that they were going to be in their own private training room, a special allowance they had since he was the prince. They passed by the main training grounds where the Crownsguard cadets were, and he saw Prompto there, working hard with his back turned to them. Noctis was about to tell Titus to just have Prompto sent home, to have him no longer in the Crownsguard, but he figured that even if he wasn’t in the retinue anymore he could still be in the Crownsguard.

“You should really talk to him,” Ignis said as they passed by and made their way to the private room.

“Yeah,” Noctis replied, staying silent otherwise. They stepped into the training room and got to work immediately.

It was a long training session, one that Noctis wasn’t going to complain about or mind in this case. He needed to get his aggression, his pain, and his sorrow out of his system. Gladio and Ignis both worked him hard. Towards the end of the training, the two only stopped when their respective boyfriends made their way into the room to visit. Noctis didn’t know when Gladio and Nyx actually started dating officially, but he had a good idea when Ignis and Ravus hooked up. 

Noctis took that as his cue to make his way out of the room and wait for Gladio and Ignis on the steps of the Citadel. While many considered that unsafe, Noctis knew that there was no way in hell that anyone would try anything with so much security around. Sweating and seeking cool air to cool him down, he stepped out onto the front steps… and saw Prompto sitting at the top, looking at his phone.

Panic coursed through him, and Noctis considered turning around and making his way back inside. But Prompto somehow sensed that he was there and turned around. Shock ran through him. Prompto was bruised on his neck, his arms, his legs. He had a black eye. Was Cor doing this to him? Noctis couldn’t believe it.

“Hey Noct,” Prompto said, offering a nervous smile as he stood up and approached him. Noctis had no choice but to talk to him. “Umm… I was hoping to catch you here.”

“How long were you waiting?” Noctis asked, noticing that Prompto looked a bit cold. The nights were getting cooler as fall rapidly approached the city.

“Not long,” Prompto said, although Noctis had a feeling that he was lying. “I just wanted to talk to you a bit and figure out what I did wrong. I’m sorry if I did anything to hurt you. And I’m really sorry if I said anything to make you uncomfortable. I know that I dumped a lot on you a couple weeks ago, and I just want to say that you don’t have to worry about any of that. I’ve got a handle on everything. I’m still the same Prompto you know.”

“Are you though?” Noctis asked. It wasn’t what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Prompto that there was nothing to apologize for, that it was his own fault. Why did he say something else entirely? Prompto’s shock and dismay hurt him terribly. He opened his mouth to try again. “I mean… You’ve been keeping everything from me. Who the fuck are you even? I can’t trust you. You just prove that Niffs are untrustworthy.” 

Prompto looked at him in shock, and Noctis felt despair. There was no reason why he said those things. He didn’t even believe it. Why were the words tumbling from his lips? Why wasn’t he able to tell him the truth? All he needed to say was that he loved him, he was upset that he was with Cor, and that he needed space. So why was he acting like this, pushing him away and telling him horrible things? None of it made sense.

“I…” Prompto began, trying to say something, anything. Noctis could see him struggling, the tears in his eyes evident. Gently, he reached out to Noctis. “I’m sorry.”

Noctis panicked. It looked like Prompto was trying to hug him maybe. All he had to do was just reach out to him and embrace him. “Don’t touch me!”

He pushed Prompto, who stumbled backwards and tried to catch himself, dropping what was in his hand. “Noctis?!”

Prompto called out for him as he stumbled and fell backwards. He couldn’t right himself and fell down the steps of the Citadel. Noctis tried to catch him, but it was too late. He was falling. There was nothing, no one, to catch his fall. Noctis screamed for him, suddenly released from whatever hold was on him, and guards came rushing towards him to try and see what happened. Looking down, he saw what Prompto was trying to give him. It was his cell phone.

“Help him!” Noctis screamed, looking down the steps to see that Prompto had come to a stop at the bottom, his leg and arm contorted abnormally. “Now! He’s my best friend!”

Trembling, Noctis saw Titus and Clarus both run out of the Citadel and down the steps. Someone shouted for an ambulance to be called, but Noctis was frozen in terror. Soon enough, Gladio and Ignis were there, asking him what happened. He could only stare in horror at what he had done.

The ambulance arrived quickly, and they assessed Prompto before putting him on a stretcher and transporting him via ambulance to the hospital. Gladio and Ignis took him along with them, heading towards the Regalia so they could go to the hospital. Noctis didn’t deserve to go. He deserved to rot away in a prison cell. He pushed Prompto, actually  _ pushed _ him. What kind of monster was he?

“What happened?” Ignis asked as they sped through the streets of Insomnia. 

“I have to call Cor,” Noctis said instead. “He deserves to know.”

Trembling Noctis took out his phone, realizing he didn’t have Cor’s number. Instead, he looked at Prompto’s phone that he had grabbed, trying to catch his breath as he thought about how Prompto was just trying to talk to him. Tears came to his eyes, and he opened the phone and looked through Prompto’s texts to find Cor’s number. It was full of messages of Cor telling Prompto to talk to Noctis to work it out. Guilt coursed through him.

“Hey Prom,” Cor said after the first ring when Noctis called. “How’d it go? Did Noctis listen to what you had to say?”

“Hey, this is Noctis,” he replied anxiously, his voice cracking through his tears. “Prompto fell down the steps of the Citadel. He’s hurt. It’s bad, Cor. We’re heading to the hospital.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Cor said, the panic in his voice evident. There was a pause on the other end. “Did he really fall? You know what, we’ll talk about it when I get there. I’ll be there soon.”

Cor ended the call, and Noctis sobbed, his heart breaking inexorably. He had done this. It was all his fault. He didn’t deserve anything at all, much less Prompto’s love. How was he going to apologize to Prompto? How was he going to explain this to his dad? He had no clue. 

They ended up at the hospital fairly quickly, and Noctis almost told Gladio and Ignis that he just couldn’t do it. Yet they were able to get him into the hospital, somehow propelling him forward, and determined quickly that Prompto was in surgery already. There was no way that it wasn’t bad. What had happened?

The staff gave them the correct floor to go to, and Noctis forwarded the information onto Cor so that they would meet on the same floor. Since Prompto was in surgery, the only thing that they could do was wait in a private waiting room. Cor met them there just as Noctis received a text from his father, telling him that he would be there after Titus and Clarus finished doing the necessary paperwork.

“What happened?” Cor asked Noctis pointedly. He sat in a chair across from Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis, staring at the prince with his arms crossed. “Prompto’s clumsy, but he’s not that clumsy.”

“I… I don’t know,” Noctis began. He froze for a moment, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. “It was like something possessed me. I wanted to tell Prompto that I was fucked up, needed time away from him, but all that came out was hate and things I don’t even believe. And then when Prompto went to hand me his phone, I pushed him.”

“You what?!” Gladio and Ignis asked at the same time.

“I know!” Noctis replied, sobbing as he put his head in his hands. “I don’t know what happened. It just did. I swear it wasn’t me doing it. I would never hurt him. But I did… I just… I’m a terrible person. I swear that it wasn’t me doing it. You gotta believe me.”

“I do,” Cor said, surprising them all. Noctis looked up at him, seeing the concern on his face as well as the pain. “I believe you, Noctis. There are some things that have happened recently that are too weird to be true. But it is all true.”

“Like what?” Ignis asked, his disbelief like a knife in Noctis’ heart.

“Like I’m actually the Lord Marshal,” Cor said. They all looked at him sharply. There was no way. Was there? 

“You’re insane,” Ignis scoffed. “There’s no way you are the Lord Marshal. I don’t believe it.”

“Cor,” Titus called for him as he, Clarus, and Regis stepped into the waiting room. “What happened?”

“Prompto was pushed down the steps of the Citadel,” Cor addressed them, standing up. Noctis watched as they addressed him… like he was the Lord Marshal. “We don’t know who did it.”

“We’ll send a search team,” Regis said.

“I advise against it,” Cor said. They looked at him curiously. “It may have to do with things that happened recently.”

Regis nodded. “Well. I guess the only thing we can do is sit and wait.”

They sat down after Regis hugged Noctis and offered words of strength, leaving Noctis and his friends to wonder exactly what had just happened. Was Cor actually the Lord Marshal and not his nephew? What was going on? If that was true then that meant… somehow Cor was a teen again and he had gotten with Prompto. Why?

“What’s up with the bruises all over Prompto?” Noctis asked Cor, trying to ascertain if he was hurting him.

“The cadets noticed that you weren’t talking to him anymore,” Cor explained. “They were already bullying him for being a Niff. Now that you weren’t talking to him, they were outright abusing him.”

“Why didn’t he say something?” Titus asked.

“We tried,” Cor explained. “But saying something only makes things worse. So Prompto said that eventually things would get sorted with Noctis and it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

“I didn’t know that he was suffering so much,” Noctis despaired. 

“Speaking of things we didn’t know,” Titus interrupted. “We concluded our investigation on the Argentums.”

“What did you find?” Cor asked them. Noctis looked at them curiously. Why were they investigating Prompto’s parents?

“It seems they’ve been using the orphan stipend that Prompto gets each month to help support their travels,” Titus explained. “They’ve been reporting that they give the money to Prompto and even have falsified account information to prove it. They’ve also been falsifying information to indicate Prompto has health insurance as well. We’ve issued a warrant for their arrest for embezzlement, child abuse and neglect and expect them to be arrested shortly.”

“Well that explains a lot,” Cor said with a nod. “I had a feeling something was off. It’s no wonder he’s been struggling just to live.”

“What?” Noctis asked, feeling even worse the more they spoke.

“Titus,” Regis said, ignoring Noctis’ question. “I want you to go to his house and take photos of what his living conditions are like.”

“Understood, your majesty.” Titus got up and left quickly, heading to Prompto’s place now, likely to prevent it from being tampered with.

“What’s going on?” Noctis asked them. 

“I’ll explain when Prompto wakes up,” Cor determined. “For now, just know it’s being handled.”

“You really are the Lord Marshal, aren’t you?” Noctis asked incredulously. 

Cor nodded. Noctis thought he had entered into an alternate world where everything was just wrong. “Does Prompto know?” Gladio asked. “Or is it a secret?”

“He doesn’t know,” Cor admitted. “I planned on telling him once I made up my mind.”

“About what?” Ignis asked.

“About staying with him instead of going back to being the Lord Marshal,” Cor said. They all stared at him. 

“Are you?” Noctis asked.

“I don’t know. I thought I knew the answer already but now I’m not sure. Things have changed.”

“What did?” Noctis needed to know. He was tired of being ignorant.

“I don’t know. But it has. I need to consider it more now.” Cor sighed.

Noctis nodded, trying to process everything. The world just got a whole lot stranger, and he was far from prepared for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So don't be mad at Noctis just yet I promise things will be explained in the next chapter. :3
> 
> Also... Poor Prompto (I AM SO SORRY)
> 
> Also... Thank you all so much for reading!!!


	13. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor is given a choice

_ “Where am I?” Cor asked, looking around in confusion. _

_ “The eternal void,” Shiva replied. “I have brought you here to talk. To offer you a decision.” _

_ “This is about Prompto,” Cor stated. Shiva nodded, her icy visage both beautiful and terrifying. “What’s going on? Why did Noctis push him?” _

_ “You made a wish on the Crystal,” Shiva explained. “The last piece of magic in Eos. For that, you have summoned the magic of the Astrals. We have seen it fit to grant your wish.” _

_ “What’s the cost?” Cor asked her. He wasn’t going to be easily fooled. He knew that everything came with a cost.  _

_ “Had you been born into the same time as Prompto, you two would have fallen in love, married, and had a happy life. We could not let that happen. However, you saw it fit to wish on the Crystal for love. There was only one person who could grant such a wish.” Shiva waved her hand and an image of Prompto appeared. _

_ “Why couldn’t you let that happen?” Cor asked, looking at Prompto’s visage, his expression pained. Prompto was harmed because of him. But why? _

_ “Because there is another who Prompto is meant to love in this lifetime.” Shiva waved her hand and Noctis appeared beside Prompto. They turned towards each other and held each other’s hands, smiling brightly at each other. “The prince of Lucis is destined to love Prompto. You have interfered.” _

_ “What are the consequences of my interference?” Cor looked at them, his heart aching far more than he realized it would. He loved Prompto so fiercely. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair.  _

_ “Prompto will heal from this. He will no longer speak with Noctis. You two will have a long and happy life together.” Shiva waved her hand, showing an image of Prompto and Cor together, kissing at their wedding. With another wave, the image turned to Noctis, looking devastated. _

_ “What will happen with Noctis?” Cor knew that he was being selfish. But could he sacrifice his love for Prompto for someone else’s? _

_ “He will never forgive himself for what he was possessed to do by the power of the Crystal.” Shiva waved her hand, and an image of Noctis in his devastated state marrying Lunafreya appeared. “He will marry Lunafreya. They will live separately but unite Tenebrae and Lucis together.” _

_ “But Noctis is gay,” Cor pointed out. _

_ Shiva nodded. “He will live a life of celibacy as a self imposed punishment for what he had done to Prompto. Because he never married a man, human rights will be set back for the gay population by one hundred years. And because he never married Prompto, the hatred for those of Niflheim descent will escalate until war is declared against the country once more.” _

_ “Without them marrying, people will suffer and die.” Cor looked at the bloody scene in front of him. The scene changed to Prompto hiding in the bathroom while Cor spoke to a militia of men looking for him.  _

_ “Eventually Lucis will win out, but many will die.” Shiva looked at Cor. “Matters of the heart are inherently difficult. You will have a choice when you awake. You may stay with Prompto, wish for the Crystal to grant you two a long and happy life together, and it shall be granted.” _

_ “Or…?” Cor knew there was another option. There had to be another option. _

_ “Or you can wish for you two to meet in another life. Prompto is one of those rare souls who has more than one soulmate. He is meant to be within their proximity every lifetime, although not necessarily with them. In two lifetimes, you, Noctis, and Prompto will be together with Prompto at the center of the relationship. In your next lifetime, it will just be you two. Noctis will only be his best friend.” _

_ “Will he have a happier life in the next?” Cor asked, looking at an image of Prompto sitting at a diner with Noctis, laughing and joking. Cor walked in, the same age as the other two, and Prompto stopped and stared in immediate love. “Will the next life treat him kinder? And will he have a kinder life as Noctis’ husband?” _

_ “Yes,” Shiva replied bluntly. “All shall be better for him the moment he and Noctis are together. The moment they are together, Prompto shall be spoiled and adored. In the next lifetime, Prompto will be happy and not suffer as he has up to this point.” _

_ “Everything has gone wrong because of me.” Cor looked at Shiva. “What will happen if I make a wish to be with him in another life?” _

_ “It will be a sacrifice you must make.” Shiva looked at him. “Everyone will remember you as the one who pushed Prompto down the steps. They will remember you as just a random teenager, someone who seduced Prompto and then hurt him. They will remember that you returned to Altissia before anyone could arrest you for hurting him. And you will return to your position as Lord Marshal. You will be around Prompto and watch over him and protect him, as you were destined to do in this lifetime.” _

_ “Will I forget my love for him?” Cor asked. The thought pained him greatly. He didn’t want to forget. _

_ “Your heart does not wish to forget. The choice is yours. Although I warn you, if you do not forget, you must not tell a soul. And you will suffer greatly for it.” Shiva looked remorseful for it. _

_ “No. I won’t.” Cor looked into the void, contemplating his choices. “As long as Prompto is happy, well cared for, and flourishing… That’s all I need. It will keep me going.” _

_ “You say that now. Yet I see your future. It will hurt.” Shiva showed him an image of himself at his rightful age, dressed in his Lord Marshal dress fatigues, sitting on his bed and crying. _

_ “It will. But I don’t want to forget how much I love him. Ever.” Cor loved Prompto so much. But could he let him go? _

_ “Very well. The choice will be yours. Please decide quickly. Eventually, there will be a point of no return. If you reach it, nothing will change, no matter what you wish.” Shiva pressed her finger against Cor’s forehead. “Now wake up.” _

Cor sat up quickly, startled from his dream. He was sitting in the hospital room in a surprisingly comfortable chair, just next to Prompto’s bed. The blond was asleep, a cannula in his nose and his arm and leg bandaged and wrapped from the surgery. He had yet to wake up, but the surgeon had indicated that the procedure was a success. IVs connected to his arm, a heart monitor on his chest, and Prompto was being treated for malnourishment as well. Across from Cor on the other side of the bed was Noctis, sleeping in a similar chair.

There was a decision to make, one that would change the course of history one way or another. Could Cor be selfish enough to forsake the rest of humanity for his own relationship and love? Could he devastate someone else, knowing that the two of them were supposed to be together in another life instead of this one? Could he let Prompto go?

Achingly, he grabbed Prompto’s uninjured hand, holding it tightly as tears fell from his eyes. None of this was fair. Not to Prompto. Not to Noctis. Not to Cor. It was all wrong, and Cor only had himself to blame. If he had learned to be satisfied with his life as it was, then Prompto and Noctis would have ended up together, happy and flourishing. Yet he was selfish and had to make a wish on the last piece of magic in Eos. Why couldn’t he just get a cat and be happy with that instead?

“Prompto,” Cor whispered, knowing that no matter what he said, it would do little to help. Noctis was fast asleep, his eyes red and puffy from crying. Regis was already covering up the story, and luckily no one had been there to observe. It wasn’t Noctis’ fault. One of the Six Astrals possessed him, and he had confirmation from Shiva herself. “I love you so much. I’m so sorry.”

“Mmnn,” Prompto moaned, stirring from his anesthesia induced slumber. There were bruises all over his body, and the doctor had indicated that he had several broken ribs. Luckily, there was no internal bleeding or organ damage. “Cor?”

Prompto opened his one unswollen eye, offering a soft smile at him despite his injuries. Cor was fairly certain that the pain medication he was on was enough to numb out anything bad anyway. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Cor replied, his heart aching so terribly. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Not really,” Prompto replied. “Just that… Noctis pushed me.”

“I’m sorry, Prompto,” Cor said softly, holding Prompto’s hand up to his forehead and letting out an aching sob. He kissed Prompto’s hand and set it back down, still holding onto it with both of his hands. “It’s all my fault.”

“How can it be?” Prompto asked. His voice was hoarse, likely from the tubes down his throat to help him breathe during the surgery. “You weren’t even there. Don’t cry, Cor. I’ll be alright. I love you.”

“I love you so much, Prompto,” Cor sobbed. “I want what’s best for you. You know that, right?”

“Of course, Cor,” Prompto said with a smile. “You’re the first person to really want to care for me and only request me to keep loving you. And I’ll never stop, Cor. Ever. I love you too much to stop loving you.”

“I know, Prompto.” Cor stood up and kissed Prompto’s forehead and then his lips. Prompto kissed him back, a sincerely passionate and yearning kiss, hurting him and breaking his heart so intensely that he couldn’t stop his tears from flowing. “I love you in this life and the next.”

“Same here,” Prompto said, his expression concerned but his smile still there. “Cor? What’s wrong? Why are you crying so much? Is it because I got hurt? I promise I’ll be okay. Please stop crying.”

“I know, Prompto. I know.” Cor kissed him again, trying to memorize just how his lips felt. Beautiful, seductive despite his injuries, deliciously sweet. “I just love you so much that it’s overwhelming at times. I want to be with you forever.”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Prompto’s smile was so beautiful. There were no injuries that could prevent Cor from finding him gorgeous. Nothing could prevent him from loving every inch of who he was. “We’ll get married, have a great life together, and never be apart. There’s nothing that can stand in our way. Not when we’re together.”

“You’re right, Prompto.” Cor took a deep breath and released Prompto’s hand. Shakily he took off the crystal that he kept around his neck, hidden in his clothes. “I want you to have this, Prompto. A gift from me.”

“Wow,” Prompto said, leaning forward just enough so that Cor could put it around his neck. They fussed with the cannula so that it wasn’t on top of it. “This is gorgeous.”

“It comes with a wish,” Cor said, taking another deep breath. He looked at Prompto and kissed him deeply, their tongues colliding, unwilling to let him go just yet. He had to though. There was no other choice. Prompto and Noctis deserved this. Cor had to stop being selfish.

“Cor?” Prompto asked, sensing something was off. He was a bit too delirious from the surgery, the injuries, and the pain medicine. “What’s the wish?”

“I wish that we will meet and love each other in another life,” Cor said, one hand on the crystal and the other holding Prompto’s hand tightly. “I wish for your happiness and success in all of your lives. And I wish to remember my love for you no matter what life we are in.”

“Cor?” Prompto asked as Cor kissed him one last time. He stood up, his tears flowing, as a sense of delirium came over him. Prompto looked like he was about to fall asleep. “I love you, Cor…”

Prompto fell asleep as Cor collapsed on the floor.

“Lord Marshal,” Prompto said as Cor stepped into the room, looking at the blond in his injured state. “Thank you for visiting me.”

“Of course,” Cor replied, his heart aching in his chest. “I take it as a personal responsibility to visit my Crownguard members whenever they are injured.”

Prompto beamed, a beautiful smile that made his chest hurt more than he was prepared for. “Really?!”

“I heard great reports from Captain Drautos and Lord Clarus while I was out,” Cor lied. “You are making great improvements. I am proud to call you a member of the Crownsguard.”

“Thank you so much, Lord Marshal,” Prompto said, tears welling in his open eye. He looked at Noctis, sitting on the side of his broken arm. “Noctis! Noctis! Wake up!”

Noctis stirred, rubbing his eyes groggily. Startling, he looked at Prompto in urgency. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“The Lord Marshal said I’m a part of the Crownsguard now!” Prompto said excitedly. “I can officially join your retinue!”

Beaming, Noctis looked at Cor. “Really?! Thank you Lord Marshal! I’m so grateful for that. I can’t go another day without having him by my side.”

“I know,” Cor replied, offering a smile to conceal his pain. “I think it’s time that Prompto’s hard work finally pay off.”

“Thank you,” Noctis said again. He frowned. “Sorry to ask but… have they found your nephew?”

“He made it back to Altissia,” Cor lied. “He sent me a formal apology, but he also intends on never returning to Lucis.”

“That’s good,” Prompto said, although he looked upset. “I can’t believe he hurt me. I would’ve never thought.”

“Me too,” Noctis said. He looked at Prompto, pain and longing in his eyes. “I swore he was a good guy.”

“I guess he just deceived us all.” Prompto looked at Noctis, offering a gentle smile through the pain. It was a smile that he used to give Cor, one that indicated that he was starting to fall for the young man he was supposed to be with in this lifetime. “I guess that just means that I was around the right person the entire time.”

“Are you… Really?” Noctis looked at Prompto hopefully. “You mean it?”

“Yeah.” Prompto offered a bit wider of a smile, although his teeth weren’t showing. “I need time to heal but… yeah.”

“I’ll wait for you… as long as it takes, Prom.” Noctis looked at the crystal hanging around Prompto’s neck. “Hey, where’d you get that?”

“I don’t really remember.” Prompto looked down at it, then up at Cor. Recognition blossomed in his eyes. Did he remember what happened? “Oh now I remember! The Lord Marshal gave it to me before he left on sabbatical. It’s a good luck charm. Said I could use it.”

“Hold onto it then.” Nocts smiled widely, chuckling a bit. “You could use all the luck you can get.”

“True.” Prompto laughed at that. When his laughter died out, he looked between Cor and Noctis. Cor had to pretend he wasn’t hurt, wasn’t aching for him, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. There was no way he would allow himself to forget his love for Prompto. “Um… I have a lot to tell you, Noctis. About my parents and what’s going on in my life. I’m sorry I’ve been keeping it from you cause I was afraid honestly. Will you… Will you forgive me?”

“Of course.” Noctis looked at him tearfully, but there was a softness in his gaze that indicated he was ready to hear what Prompto had to say. “Tell me everything. There’s no judgment here, Prom. I’m here to help you wherever I can.”

“Thank you, Noct. You really are the best person in my life.” Prompto’s gaze fixated on Noctis, the Lord Marshal long forgotten now. “Okay… buckle up for this story…”

Cor left the hospital room, the tears clouding his vision. He didn’t need to hear it all. This was all meant for Noctis now, and he knew that the prince would hold Prompto in his heart. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cor made the best decision for everyone but himself. ;--; Poor Cor (I say as the author XD)
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading this! Just a couple more chapters to go ;--;


	14. Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto talks to the Lord Marshal and to Noctis

It took a while for Prompto to heal, both physically and emotionally. There was a lot to heal from, and even now he was working with a therapist to learn to cope with the complex trauma that happened in his lifetime. The more his parents were questioned by the Crown, the more he discovered that he was a victim of horrible mistreatment all for the sake of greed. They had adopted him and abused him only for the sake of collecting his stipend and using it for their own means. 

Now that the Lord Marshal’s nephew was gone, Prompto had to heal from being so nicely loved then suddenly pushed down the steps of the Citadel. No matter how many times he thought about it, he just couldn’t fully conceptualize that Cor would do something like that intentionally. There was something missing from it, and it bugged him more and more each day. 

That was, until he figured it out. One night he had been fast asleep in his room in the Citadel, something he had been marvelously granted by the king himself now that his parents were arrested and in prison, and he woke to a sudden ache in his heart, his chest burning with a pain that he didn’t understand. That night he made his way to Noctis’ rooms and curled beside him in bed, his physical injuries healed enough to be out of their casts.  Prompto spent the night aching and yearning, crying softly into his pillow so he didn’t wake Noctis. He fell in love with Noctis so easily that he was sure he was meant for him. Yet that morning, he looked down at the crystal around his neck and suddenly connected the dots. It was all so obvious, and yet it was entirely unbelievable. 

“Noctis?” Prompto asked, late into the morning when Noctis was finally waking up. The prince rubbed his eyes groggily, looking at Prompto with sleepy eyes and a pout on his lips that practically begged to be kissed. “I need to talk to the Lord Marshal. Do you know where he is usually around this time?”

“In his office,” Noctis replied. “Why?”

“It’s a weird thing,” Prompto said with a shrug. “But when I come back we can have breakfast together.”

“I’ll have the staff bring up all our favorites,” Noctis offered, looking at Prompto hopefully. The same longing filled Prompto’s heart. He really was falling in love with Noctis, if he didn’t really love him all along.

“Okay,” Prompto agreed with a smile. He was already dressed, as usual, since he was typically up before Noctis. The nights that he had horrible nightmares, which were most nights if he was honest, Prompto would crawl into bed with Noctis and sleep with him. Somehow, the prince had a way of keeping the nightmares at bay. “When I get back, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Sure,” Noctis said, although he looked incredibly nervous. Prompto offered him a smile, one that was meant to be reassuring. Then again, there was a lot of pain that they were both going through. For the short time that Prompto was with Cor, Noctis had needed his space. Prompto understood. If he saw Noctis dating anyone right now then it would likely hurt him beyond belief. He hoped that Noctis was still single. That was a conversation meant for later, though.

Right now, Prompto had to talk to the Lord Marshal. Using the cane that he needed for a while, Prompto slowly made his way to the elevators and to the Lord Marshal’s office. Sure enough, Cor “the Immortal” Leonis was there, tending to paperwork and preparing disciplinary actions for what the cadets did to Prompto while he was gone.

With a deep breath, Prompto knocked on the door. He heard the Lord Marshal signal him to come in, and he opened the door with no small amount of trepidation. Stepping inside, Prompto closed the door behind him. He caught an expression on the Lord Marshal’s face, his handsome features momentarily shocked and dismayed. But then there was a mask there, a mask that told Prompto exactly what he needed to confirm.

“How can I help you, Prompto?” Cor asked him, looking at him with a professional sternness. “You look like you’re healing well from your injuries.”

“The doctor said that in a few weeks I should be able to start training again,” Prompto explained. “I’ll have to take it easy at first though.”

“As expected,” Cor said with a nod. “What can I help you with today?”

“Why did you pretend that you were your own nephew when it was really you the entire time?” Prompto asked him bluntly, figuring there was no good way to propose it. He stood there and stared at Cor, who looked at him in shock, both of them silent and unmoving.

Cor set down his work and stood up, walking around the desk and facing Prompto. “How did you figure it out?”

“Just a feeling,” Prompto explained. “There were moments when you looked or sounded too much like the you now. So how was it done? I mean, most adults don’t end up as teens.”

“A wish on the crystal,” Cor explained. “It was unintentional. I didn’t expect it, to say the least. When you were injured, I was given a choice. I chose the best path for you.”

“Did you really push me?” Prompto asked. “Please tell me the truth.”

Cor sighed. “It was one of the Astrals. They saw it fit to force fate and provide an ultimatum.”

“You gave me up for a path that would make me the happiest?” Prompto asked in confusion. “But…”

“Noctis is the best path for you… and for many others. As much as it hurts me to lose you, I had to do it. I couldn’t let you or Noctis suffer for my selfishness.” Cor looked at Prompto with a genuine love that caught part of Prompto’s heart, refusing to let it go.

Prompto thought about what Cor had said and done, what it took for him to find love and what he had to do to let it go. Looking up at Cor’s defined features, he felt an ache deep within his soul. “It’s not fair to you.”

“It’s alright, Prompto.” Cor took a step towards him, gently placing his rough and calloused hand against Prompto’s cheek. It didn’t scare Prompto, nor did it disgust him. It was kind, lovely, wanted. “I made this decision, and I would make it a million more times if it meant your happiness.”

“Cor…” Prompto felt tears in his eyes as he thought about what Cor was sacrificing. For him. “It’s not fair.”

“It’s okay,” Cor insisted. “I get to be with you in my next life. And in this life I get to protect you and ensure you are safe and happy. That’s not such a bad thing now, is it?”

Prompto looked at Cor, his gaze pleading and sorrowful. “I’m sorry, Cor. I want you to know that. What can I do to help ease the pain?”

“Live well. Tell Noctis how you feel about him. Marry and be happy. And love me in the next life.” Cor put his hands on Prompto’s shoulders, looking at him with a soft smile of both love and heartache. The tenderness that Prompto felt for Cor was certainly something that would last well into the next life.

“I will. And I wish happiness and love for you as well.” Prompto gently put his hands on both of Cor’s cheeks, guiding his lips down towards his. Cor complied, even though Prompto wasn’t strong enough to truly pull him downwards. 

They kissed each other then, a soft and yearning kiss, achingly gentle. It was a farewell kiss, a kiss for them to end what never was supposed to be in this life. Prompto needed this, and he knew that Cor did as well. It was closure. For now they would close out this relationship, no matter how much it hurt and how much they desired it, where they could start a genuine relationship in the next life.

“I love you,” Prompto whispered, his hand on the back of Cor’s neck as they pressed their foreheads together. 

“I love you, Prompto. And I will love you into the next life. And the next.” Cor kissed Prompto again then hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Prompto. For figuring it out, for being here. For everything. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

“You’ve already done so much,” Prompto promised him. “We just have to wait until the next life. We’ll find each other. I promise.”

“I know we will.” Cor pulled away and kissed Prompto’s forehead. “Now go and tell Noctis how you feel. He’s been waiting for a long time to hear you say the words.”

“Yes Lord Marshal,” Prompto said with a small smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing where this life and the next takes me.”

They parted then, and Prompto made his way towards the door. Pausing, he looked at Cor as the Lord Marshal settled back into his seat. “I’ll always keep the crystal on me, Cor. It’s a reminder of how much I’m loved, not just by Noctis, but also by you.”

“Thank you, Prompto,” Cor replied. He smiled at him kindly. “I better get invited to the royal wedding.”

“I don’t think you’ll even have a choice at this point,” Prompto laughed. He then paused. “Wait. Royal wedding?”

“Yes. You’ll be royalty once you’re married. Good luck with that.” Cor laughed.

“Well I need to go think about my life choices,” Prompto said, laughing despite himself. “Thanks Cor.”

“See you around, Prom.” Cor’s smile looked pained, but it wasn’t as pained as before.

Prompto left then and made his way back to Noctis, unable to stop thinking about everything that happened. It was such a strange thing to acknowledge, especially considering how the Six Astrals had been able to grant such a request due to the crystal. Subconsciously, Prompto reached up and clutched the crystal around his neck, feeling how it once had a presence of power that was no longer there. Cor had used it to wish him a happy life. How could he possibly return such a favor?

Prompto supposed that the only way to return the favor was to honor the wish, to heal and live the best life that he possibly could. There was no denying that he loved Noctis, and there was no denying that he adored Cor, not just because of the sacrifice he made. The love that he felt for the Lord Marshal wasn’t the same as it had been when he was a teen, though. The Six Astrals made things right again, and for that Prompto felt a weight of guilt and a need to make Cor’s wish not go to waste.

When Prompto made it back to Noctis’ room, he found the prince waiting for him with a nice spread of breakfast waiting for him. They would take what they wanted from the table and eat in bed, a tray there for them to enjoy it without making a mess. Prompto loved these mornings with Noctis, and it was easy to put his worry for Cor aside the moment that he saw him. 

“How did it go?” Noctis asked, his worry evident. He got a plate of food ready for Prompto, all of his favorites, and brought it over to the bed for him automatically. Prompto felt a warmth in his chest, knowing that Noctis cared about him and knew him so well without even thinking about it. “Did you get what you needed?”

“Yeah,” Prompto replied, sitting in the bed. He looked at Noctis and smiled brightly. It was hard to deny it. He genuinely loved Noctis. “I let him know that I’ll get to start training again soon. He’s really happy for me.”

“Happy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Lord Marshal smile,” Noctis joked, chuckling lightly. Prompto smiled at that, thinking about how there was a smile that Cor would always have for him, something that would always be reserved and regarded for him and no one else. It was a smile he would get to return in the next life. For now, that smile was meant for Noctis. “So what did you have to talk to me about?”

Prompto looked at Noctis’ smile fall, his expression turning to nervous worry. Even though Prompto was fairly certain of how Noctis felt now, he was still worried about something going wrong. “It’s something that I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now. Something that I’ve been afraid to tell you.”

“You don’t have to be afraid to tell me anything,” Noctis said, reaching out and taking Prompto’s hand, holding it reassuringly. “I promised you before when you told me about your family in the hospital. I still mean it.”

“I know,” Prompto replied, offering him a small smile. “It’s something about you.”

“Did I do anything to hurt you?” Noctis immediately asked. Prompto smiled, squeezing Noctis’ hand a bit.

“Noctis,” Prompto said softly. “I love you. I’ve loved you for years. This is the first time I really feel like I can tell you. If you don’t feel the same then-”

Noctis kissed Prompto before he could even finish his sentence. It was a deep, passionate kiss, one that Prompto immediately embraced. His heart thumped in his chest, bursting with joy as he wrapped his arms around the prince and pulled him into it further. They kissed for a long time, both of them lost in each other’s lips, their passion lighting into a desire that couldn’t be held back any longer.

“I love you so much, Prompto,” Noctis said when he pulled away. There were tears in his eyes, and he wiped them away quickly. “I thought I was going to lose you forever when you were dating Cor. But then you came back to me, and now you’re here, telling me that you love me.”

“I do love you, Noctis,” Prompto promised him. He grabbed Noctis’ face, his hands gentle against his cheeks, and he pulled him into another deep kiss. “I wanted to wait after Cor because I didn’t want you to think that you were a rebound. You’re not a rebound, you’re not a fling. You’re my forever, Noct. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“Then let’s be together for the rest of our lives,” Noctis said, his tears flowing. “I’m so lucky I have you, Prompto. I’m never going to let you go ever again.”

“Don’t,” Prompto said, kissing him lightly. “Don’t let me go. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

Noctis took Prompto into his arms, breakfast long forgotten in lieu of their kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompto doesn't remember how things really happened, but he was able to piece together that Cor the teen and Cor the adult are the same person. It still doesn't change anything because Cor's wish came true ;--; 
> 
> Thank you all for reading! I can't believe how close we are to the end!


	15. Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years later, Cor faces a day that he is both excited for and dreads

The Citadel was decorated in whites and blues, golds and blacks. Large streamers and banners drifted downwards, draped down the sides of the building on either side of the steps. Black carpet with cold borders lined the steps, and cars filed through the circular thruway to drop off the royal, the elite, and the rich. 

Orchestrating it all was a team of people. Crownsguard, Kingslgaive, all led by Titus Drautos and Cor Leonis, eloquently ushered to and fro with several event planners making the day seem effortless and seamless for those involved. Crownsguard lined the steps on either side, flower petals drifted all around, and there was an air of joy and frivolity. 

It was going to be a beautiful day, one that Cor knew would be a blessing for Eos and a blessing for the Crown. It would be a blessing for the prince. Most of all, it would be a blessing for Prompto. That mattered to Cor more than anything.

Cor had watched Prompto and Noctis celebrate their love and grow together as they continued through their senior year of high school and through college. Prompto moved in with Noctis permanently, both of them leaving the Citadel and going back to the prince’s apartment once Prompto was healed enough to do so. He spent years in intensive therapy, coping with the trauma that he was subjected to thanks to his parents and the false memories the Six gave him that he knew were false but felt so real. 

Now in the Crownsguard, now being given the orphan stipend he was supposed to receive, and now dating the prince of Lucis, Prompto was able to eat, able to see the doctor, and able to get the glasses and contacts that he needed. Cor helped Prompto with his training until Gladio took over that permanently, stating they had to learn how to fight as a team to defend Noctis. 

Towards the end of their senior year of college, Noctis proposed to Prompto. Cor was magnanimously happy for them, knowing that Prompto was following through with his promise to live a happy life with Noctis. The moment that Noctis proposed, Prompto became a sensation in the media, their relationship on display for the world to see. Cor watched as Niflheim and Lucis relations began to bridge even more thanks to their engagement. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

Even though Cor and Prompto had to say farewell to each other in a way that constantly caused Cor pain as Shiva had promised, the two of them would often take time to talk amongst each other and catch up with their lives. They let what could have been between them go unspoken, preferring to focus on the here and now and finding each other in their next lives. As much as Cor was pained from that decision, he saw how Prompto was blossoming and turning into a wonderful young man because of it. It was necessary to ensure Prompto was happy.

Now it was their wedding day, the day that Noctis and Prompto would join together in their love, the day that Cor knew that he was losing Prompto entirely within this lifetime. He couldn’t blame Prompto, nor could he blame Noctis. This was the path that he had chosen, and he had been the one to decide to keep his memories. Even still, he didn’t want to forget a moment of his time with Prompto. The pain was worth it.

“The ceremony should be starting soon,” Titus commented as he and Cor stood outside at the top of the steps, both of them in their dress fatigues, looking out for any suspicious behavior or harmful persons. “You should go inside or else you’re going to miss it.”

“I’m still not sure that I want to see it,” Cor replied. Titus had been a constant companion through this, someone who had nurtured his heart while he suffered through his heartache. While they had established a loving relationship and recently started dating, Titus knew that Cor’s heart was aching due to the sacrifice he necessarily made for Prompto, although he didn’t know the extent of it. Now that they were waiting for Prompto and Noctis to marry, Regis had to take a step back to support his son first and foremost.

“You need to see it,” Titus pointed out. “And you know Prompto wants you there. You’ve been a good friend to him, Cor. Sure, not a lover like you want to be, but you know he will worry about you if you’re not there.”

Cor sighed. Titus wasn’t wrong. Prompto had offered to remain distant from him, but Cor found that an even worse offer than being close. Through their years of close friendship, there was an unspoken attraction between them, one that Cor never acted on with great effort. One time, Cor asked Prompto if he ever had difficulty with it too. Prompto had explained that being with Noctis took his mind off of any other feelings he might have had. Cor understood.

“Alright,” Cor agreed. “You have it out here?”

“Yeah,” Titus replied, waving his hand in dismissal. “If anyone tries to attack today, they’re in for a surprise.”

“Thanks, Titus,” Cor said. He watched as the last of the royals making their way inside walked past, then sneakily planted a kiss on Titus’ cheek. “I’ll have champagne waiting for you at the reception.”

“Your love has made you soft,” Titus pointed out. He smiled nonetheless. “Take care, Cor. Make sure you don’t disrupt the wedding when the priest asks.”

“And leave you?” Cor asked. “Never.”

He walked into the Citadel, thinking about how Titus was gentle and kind despite his hard and rough exterior. They were a good match, a likely match that would’ve happened earlier had Cor not made his wish. Now, Cor needed to see Noctis and Prompto get married for his relationship with Titus. It was necessary for him to close this chapter of his life and move on. Knowing that Prompto was his soulmate, knowing that he was also Noctis’ soulmate, was creating a barrier between him and Titus, and he had to understand that Prompto was with Noctis in this life. 

Stepping into the throne room, Cor looked at the magnanimously decorated wedding setup. Pews lined the marble floors, a black and gold aisle runner between them. Bouquets of flowers were everywhere, the array of white, gold, blue, and black entirely different from the norm but fantastically perfect for the occasion. Sunlight from the oncoming sunset filtered through the windows, and all the attendees were sitting in the pews in fabulous suits and dresses, excited for the occasion.

“Name, sir?” a wedding planner asked him as he stepped into the room. “Oh, Lord Marshal. Pardon me. I’ll have you follow me to your seat.”

Cor followed the wedding planner up the aisle and towards his seat in the front row. “Surely, there’s some mistake.”

“No mistake,” the wedding planner replied with a smile. “Prompto made it clear that you are the only family he has and wanted you in the front row should you attend.”

“Thank you,” Cor replied awkwardly. He sat on the pew, looking at the others in attendance curiously. Regis was the one conducting the ceremony, so he would lead the procession. In the front row was Ravus, Lunafreya, and the king and queen of Tenebrae. On the other side was the Emperor of Niflheim and the chancellor. While they were at peace, and especially since Noctis was marrying a NIff, they were necessarily invited.

“Glad to see I’m not the only one who feels out of place,” Nyx Ulric said as he took a seat next to Cor. “That’s what I get for dating Noct’s Shield.”

Cor smiled at the member of the Kingsglaive. He had become close friends with Prompto through the years, earning a reputation for being the only one to tame Gladio. It worked both ways, though. Gladio similarly earned the reputation of being able to tame Nyx. Both of them were now hopelessly dating and in love. It was only a matter of time before they got married.

“It’s not just you,” Ravus said as he turned to them both. “Since moving here permanently, my parents have certainly let me know how disappointed in me they are for being with Ignis.”

“In a way, Noctis really lucked out,” Cor agreed with a nod. He knew that Ravus had been all but disowned for his relationship with Ignis. If they saw how perfect they were for each other, then there would never have been an argument in the first place. “The king has only been supportive of their relationship.”

“It’s likely because it will foster a greater peace between Niflheim and Lucis,” Lunafreya commented, overhearing the conversation. “And it’s good for the LGBT community.”

“Or it could be because he’s a good father,” Cor proposed. “The king wants what’s best for his son. It doesn’t matter if it’s a blond guy from Niflheim.”

No one had a chance to respond. The doors to the throne room closed, and soft music began to play. The ceremony was starting, and Cor’s heart felt like it was going to tear in two. For a moment, he thought about leaving the place immediately. But then he thought about how Prompto really wanted him there, how he insisted on having him in the front row as his  _ only _ family, and he stayed. Despite the ache in his heart, he would always stay for Prompto. That was his biggest problem.

The doors to the throne room opened once more, and the procession started. The king was first, his Shield leading the way. They ascended to the throne, Regis taking his seat with Clarus standing by his side. Next was Ignis, Noctis’ advisor and trusted friend. While he was close to both Ignis and Gladio, Ignis was serving as his best man. Followed by that was Gladio, serving as Noctis’ Shield.

Noctis followed closely behind, dressed in a black suit with a golden knee brace and a half length cloak with a golden chain connecting it on either side. He looked magnanimous, regal, and every bit a prince. There was a fierce determination in his eyes and a nervousness in his shoulders. Nevertheless, Cor knew that he wasn’t going to let Prompto go. Noctis wouldn’t dare give up the man he loved. 

They made their way to the first tier of the steps leading up to the throne, beneath the last flight where they would wait for Prompto to join them then face the king. The music changed to another soft tune, and everyone stood up. Typically, the bride would make her way down now, but instead Prompto was taking this place. Cor felt a tug in his heart, not for his own grief and pain, but for the knowledge that Prompto was marrying a prince and thriving now. He deserved it more than anyone.

Cor felt his breath catch in his throat. Prompto stood at the entrance to the throne room, dressed in a beautiful white suit. There was a white cloak with a golden pattern, a multitude of filigree and the Lucian crest in the center, on his shoulders. It trailed behind him like a bride’s veil would. He carried a large bouquet of black, white, gold, and blue flowers, some of them cascading downwards. His hair was gorgeous, down to his shoulders and pulled back and braided on the sides. 

As much as Cor wanted Prompto to look at him for just a brief glance, for just one moment to tell him that he was still thinking of him, he was simultaneously grateful and heartbroken that Prompto’s gaze was only fixed on Noctis. It was the closure he needed, but it wasn’t the closure he wanted. Now he truly understood things so clearly. This lifetime was really meant for Prompto and Noctis, not for him and Prompto. This life was difficult, but the next life would be better.

Cor watched as Noctis reached out his hand for Prompto, a soft and loving smile on his lips. Prompto took it, and when they faced each other, Cor saw the love and tenderness shared between them. It was so apparent that they loved each other so passionately that nothing could come between them. Cor made the best decision for them all, even if he hated admitting it to himself.

The ceremony was beautiful, although it was long as it usually was for kings and queens. Noctis and Prompto knelt before the king on both knees, holding hands as they faced Regis, waiting for the moment that they would be united as one. The rings were exchanged, gorgeous bands of gold and black obsidian woven together, a symbol of their love and joining of two contrasting worlds.

When the moment came, when Regis announced them as husbands, Prompto and Noctis were once again standing. They faced each other and kissed, a deep and passionate kiss that was likely one that would get the both of them scolded. It was a perfect wedding, and Cor couldn’t help but smile and tear up just a bit in happiness for Prompto. Titus was right. This closed a chapter on his life and helped him finally move on.

The ceremony ended with Noctis and Prompto walking back down the aisle, the rest of the procession following them out to enjoy a moment of privacy and to have the photographer take a few photos with the royal family. It wasn’t long before Nyx and Ravus were asked to join from the throne room to be a part of the photos with the family. They were all considered family now, and Cor was surprised when he was asked to join them as well.

They took plenty of photos in a group before Noctis and Prompto were ushered to another part of the Citadel to take some photos together, just the two of them. Of course, Gladio and Ignis had to follow to ensure that everything was okay. Now that Prompto was declared prince and married to Noctis, he would also require a Shield. Nyx was the one taking up the role.

Eventually, they were ushered to the grand ballroom within the Citadel. While most of them just went in and mingled, the king was announced with his Shield always at his side. When Noctis and Prompto finally made their appearance, there was a standing ovation for the couple. Prompto had his cloak off, a smaller and easier one on his back now. With a start, Cor realized it was Noctis’ cloak, a symbolic gesture that he was always under his protection now.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Titus asked beside him, surprising Cor. He looked at the man as he was handed a glass of champagne. “To know that they are so in love that the world itself cannot tear them apart. You did the right thing, Cor.”

“You’re right,” Cor replied with a nod. He offered Titus a warm smile. “I did make the right choice.”

Titus smiled and kissed Cor, a light but profound kiss. They didn’t catch Prompto seeing them kiss and smiling warmly at them, knowing that Cor had found some happiness in his life after him. Cor felt like perhaps he could finally let go. After all, it was only a matter of getting to his next life. Then he would be reunited with Prompto, and they would have a happy and loving life together. For now, he had found contentment with Titus and was glad to know Prompto and Noctis were happy together. 

And it was enough.

It had to be…

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cor and Titus found some semblance of happiness together, although they know it's not the same as what it was and could've been with Cor and Prompto. 


	16. Epilogue: In The Next Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Cor meet for the first time again

Prompto sat at the diner with Noctis, pouring over their science homework, both of them groaning periodically over the difficulty of the subject. Neither of them were looking forward to the midterm coming up, and they had both made jokes several times about running away so they didn’t have to worry about it. Since they didn’t have the courage to follow through, it was up to them to study for the coming exam. If all went well, then they could relax before they had to contend with college entrance exams.

“Do we really have to learn about this stuff?” Noctis complained for the millionth time. He sprawled himself across the table and across his textbook, looking at Prompto with a forlorn despair that only came from being a high school student.

They had grown up together and often joked that they were platonic soulmates. Living next door to each other, Prompto had been raised by a loving and great father, Verstael, while Noctis had lived with his parents, Clarus and Regis, and his two step-siblings, Gladio and Iris. Just next door to the Amicitia-Caelums were the Scientias, where their other childhood friend, Ignis, lived.

While they had all grown up together, Prompto and Noctis were closer than the others. At one point, they thought that maybe they were romantically interested in each other. One kiss, and they knew that they were meant to be friends. They joked that in a past life they were probably married, but in this life they were only going to be friends. Both of them were fine with that.

“C’mon Noct,” Prompto groaned, grabbing his arm and shaking it playfully. “We have to study or we’re gonna fail.”

“I, for one, choose death,” Noctis groaned, laughing a bit at his own joke. “Can’t we just study the history stuff again? I’m good at that.”

“We don’t need to study the stuff that we already know,” Prompto objected. “You can’t want to study about the first gay kings of Lucis just because you say they looked like us.”

“Yes I can,” Noctis protested. “Their names were Prompto and Noctis too, you know.”

“That’s because our dads got our names from them because they’re dorks,” Prompto protested. “You know this. My dad and your dad planned this together when our moms were alive.”

“I know,” Noctis whined. “That’s why I want to study that cause I know it.”

“You’re such a dork,” Prompto teased. Noctis finally sat up, resigned to their doom of studying biology. The door to the diner opened, the jingling of the bell above the door alerting the staff that someone was looking for a seat. Instinctively, they both looked up at the person walking in. Noctis went back to his work immediately, but Prompto paused.

A guy with piercing blue eyes and short brown eyes walked into the diner. He had a backpack on, was about six feet in height, and dressed in black jeans and a black muscle shirt, showing how much he worked out. Prompto was immediately captivated, and he caught himself staring at the guy. 

“You’re practically drooling,” Noctis teased, making Prompto blush bright red. He looked away from the guy, but the next time he risked a glance, the guy was staring at him. He blushed brighter red, embarrassed from being caught.

“Excuse me,” a voice said. Prompto looked up and saw the guy standing next to their booth, looking at him with his blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul. “Are you two going to Insomnia High?”

“Yeah,” Noctis said after Prompto hesitated long enough. He couldn’t find his words, his breath caught in his throat. 

“I just transferred here from Lestallum,” he elaborated. “I start on Monday.”

“Wanna take a seat with us?” Noctis offered. “We’re just studying for midterms, but I’m pretty sure we could use a break.”

“Sure,” he said. He sat down, directly across from Prompto. “I’m Cor.”

“I’m Noctis,” Noct replied after another awkward silence from Prompto. “This is Prompto. He’s a bit shy when meeting people for the first time.”

“That’s alright,” Cor said with a smile at Prompto. “I’ll be honest. You kind of caught my attention when I walked in. I might have hoped for us going to the same school with a hidden motive.”

“Me?” Prompto managed to ask, his ears burning red. He was used to Noctis getting flirted with. Even Ignis or Gladio. Prompto was used to being the shy, nervous one. “I caught your attention?”

“Yeah,” Cor replied. “I just felt like I know you from somewhere and can’t really put my finger on it.”

“I… I feel the same,” Prompto admitted. Looking at Cor, he could’ve sworn that he knew him before. “Is your last name Leonis?”

“Yeah,” Cor replied in surprise. “How did you know?”

“No clue,” Prompto replied, laughing a bit in nervousness. “I just had a feeling.”

“Wait,” Noctis said, looking at the both of them. “Wasn’t Cor Leonis the name of the Lord Marshal to those two kings we’re named after?”

“That’s where my family got the name,” Cor explained. “I was named after him cause we’re related, I’ve been told.”

“Really?” Prompto asked. “That’s really cool! My dad claims we’re related to one of the kings. And well, that’s Noctis Lucis Amicitia-Caelum, which pretty much confirms he’s a descendant of the royal family.”

“Prompto Argentum?” Cor proposed. Prompto smiled brightly. “Cause you do look like him.”

“Prompto Argentum-Besithia,” Prompto explained. “My dad is a Besithia and my mom was an Argentum. Apparently Argentum was the name they gave to orphans back in the day. Dad claims that King Prompto was actually a Besithia.”

“Look at us,” Noctis said with a laugh. “A bunch of royals meeting up again after all this time apart.”

“There were rumors that the Lord Marshal was jealous of the kings’ marriage,” Cor said, looking at Prompto as he spoke. Why was he looking at him? He was so gorgeous that Prompto found it difficult to speak, yet he couldn’t look away. “He wanted to be with Prompto but couldn’t.”

“I’ve never heard of that before,” Prompto replied. “What do you think about it?”

“I think that maybe there was something there,” Cor explained. He smiled at Prompto, making his heart practically jump in his throat. “And maybe there’s something here?”

Prompto blushed and smiled, tucking his hair behind his ear as he looked down, trying to compose himself for just a moment. He looked back at Cor, taking a deep breath. “I hope so.”

“Great,” Noctis said sarcastically. “You two are going to be grossly in love, aren’t you? I can see it already. I’m going to have to put up with how ridiculously in love you two are going to be.”

“Isn’t that you with Ravus?” Prompto pointed out with a laugh. “And Ignis and Gladio?”

“Yeah,” Noctis teased. “But you two are gonna be worse.”

“I don’t see a problem with that,” Cor offered, smiling at Prompto. “Not everyone falls in love at first sight, after all.”

Prompto blushed bright red. He was right. That didn’t happen to everyone. But it certainly happened to him with Cor. And he had a deep feeling within his chest that this was something that would last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noctis: *flopping like a fish over his textbooks* I DON'T WANNNAAAAAA  
> Cor:.... Is your friend okay?  
> Prompto: *unable to speak*  
> Cor: *backs away slowly*   
> (How it went in an alternate dimension)
> 
> I figured that while they could've started off slow, Cor's soul is just _ready_ to be with Prompto, so he's not going to waste one single moment. They just know each other already, and there's no point in waiting or guessing. Not when they know exactly who they are and what they want.


End file.
